Nagano, Kent (George) (1951– )

US conductor of Japanese descent. He studied in California and was music director of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra from 1978, giving the US concert premiere of Pfitzner's Palestrina in 1982. From 1984 he was assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He became conductor of the Lyon Opera in 1989 where his productions included The Love for Three Oranges and the French version of Strauss's Salome. He led the London concert premiere of Messiaen's St François d'Assise in 1988, and the first performance of The Death of Klinghoffer by John Adams in Brussels in 1992. Since 1992 he has been music director of the Hallé Orchestra.