On the weekend of what would have marked his 91st birthday, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra reflects on the life and legacy of Pierre Boulez.

In an appreciation, Phillip Huscher writes: “Boulez played a unique and unusually powerful role in Chicago. As the CSO’s official conductor emeritus, unofficial éminence grise, and above all, beloved member of the family, his work with our musicians and his presence in our city encompassed so much more than any conventional title could suggest.”

Please visit the Boulez: In Memoriam category on Sounds & Stories for additional tributes, including an updated timeline and reprints of three landmark lectures that Maestro Boulez gave at the Art Institute of Chicago.