Tributes are flowing from musicians and orchestral organisations worldwide for conductor Seiji Ozawa, who died in Tokyo on 6 February, aged 88.

“For Seiji, music started with silence, a blank canvas,” wrote the cellist Yo-Yo Ma. “He would then paint and illustrate a whole universe in a way that the world had not seen before and rarely since. It is difficult to be a pioneer, and he did so with grace – serving as a source of hope and inspiration for me, especially as an Asian-American artist. To collaborate with him was to exchange intuition and emotion at the deepest level, but most of all I remember Seiji as a joyful, kind, caring human being.”

Ozawa’s leadership of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Music Director from 1973 until 2002 – a 29-year tenure that was the longest in the history of the orchestra – was saluted by his BSO successor Andris Nelsons.

“Seiji Ozawa was one of the warmest, kindest, and most generous people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. He was a great friend, a brilliant role model, and an exemplary musician and leader. He has been an inspiration to me all...