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First Japanese conductor to gain recognition in the west who achieved superstar status

An inspiring showman, he was a protégé of Leonard Bernstein and studied with Herbert von Karajan

Seiji Ozawa, who has died aged 88, was one of the few Japanese musicians to make a significant mark in the Western classical music tradition. He crossed the East-West divide with remarkable ease, creating some mesmerising music during a tenure of almost three decades with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The first Asian musician to establish a top-level international career in Western music, Mr. Ozawa became a major figure in Europe, America, and his native Japan and a conscientious citizen of each musical community in which he worked.