The conductor Mariss Jansons has died.

Jansons was born in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Latvia. His mother, the soprano Iraida Jansone, was smuggled out of Riga. His grandfather and uncle were not so lucky. Both were murdered by the Nazis.

It was Mariss’ father, Arvids Jansons, who introduced him to the violin. Arvids was selected by Yevgeny Mravinsky to serve as assistant conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic. Mariss studied in Leningrad, Vienna and Salzburg (with Herbert von Karajan). Karajan wanted the young man as his assistant in Berlin, but the appointment was nixed by the Soviet authorities.

Instead, he became associate conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic. In 1979, he was installed as music director of the Oslo Philharmonic. He became a familiar presence in London, as a guest conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic.

In the United States, he served as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, from 1997 to 2004. In 2003, he became chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He held the post in Bavaria until his death.

He also served as chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, from 2004 to 2015. Twice, he conducted the internationally popular Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert.

Jansons cheated death a second time when he survived a serious heart attack in 1996, while conducting a concert in Oslo. Prompt medical attention saved his life. It was the heart that would get him in the end.

Jansons died yesterday at his home in St. Petersburg. He leaves behind first-rate recordings of Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Sibelius, among others. He was 76 years-old. Though he struggled against ill-health, especially for the past year or so, he lived a full life in music, which is what he loved.

Jansons conducts the Symphony No. 2 by Johan Svendsen: