Christoph von Dohnányi, a conductor known for his illuminating and intellectual approach to music, died Saturday. His death was announced in a statement by the Cleveland Orchestra, which did not specify a cause. He was 95.

Dohnányi was best known in the United States for his time as the music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, which he led from 1984 to 2002. He also made numerous recordings with the symphony, programming a broad swath of music that ranged from J.S. Bach to Harrison Birtwistle, while remaining grounded in the Austro-Germanic repertoire.

"They were the most-recorded American orchestra for about a decade during his tenure," says Don Rosenberg, former music critic of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and author of the book The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None

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