Christoph von Dohannyi, grandson of a composer and son of a great Second World War hero (his father was one of the conspirators who tried to kill Hitler towards the end of the war), this modern maestro has a searing intelligence which was first applied to modern music early in his career. With time, he tackled the central Classic and Romantic repertoire with great acclaim, using his brilliant technique and clear mind to bring rhythmic vitality and an interpretive searchlight to the repertoire.

His many Decca recordings of opera and symphonic music (recently with the Cleveland Orchestra) range from Berg and Webern to Mozart and Wagner.