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Acclaimed conductor Kurt Masur is recovering in hospital after falling off stage at a Paris concert hall. He had been conducting a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique Symphony by the French National Orchestra (ONF).
The accident occurred at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris when the 84-year-old musical director lost his balance and fell approximately 1.5 metres into the front row of the audience.
Masur was rushed to the George Pompidou hospital. An examination by medical staff revealed that he hadn’t sustained any serious injuries.
A spokesperson for the ONF said in a statement that the conductor was on the mend: “After a reassuring in-depth examination, (Masur) is resting in hospital. He took a few steps this morning and is expected to leave hospital soon.”
Masur achieved additional fame beyond music when his leadership during the 1989 protests in Leipzig played a crucial role in the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the eventual reunification of Germany.
From 1991 to 2002 he was Music Director of the New York Philharmonic and in 1995 he was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He was named Commander of the Legion of Honour in France in 1997. The honour was upgraded to Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour ten years later.