French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, a giant figure in postwar classical music and a major presence in Southern California, has died at the age of 90 at his home in Germany.

The New York Times’ obituary is here.

I had the privilege to hear Boulez conduct many times, and spoke to him at least twice, including in a wonderful interview in 2003. Given his reputation as an iconoclast, I was quite nervous when I phoned him in Paris, but he couldn’t have been more friendly or generous with his time.

To read the interview click here.