Eschenbach was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland). His parents were Margarethe and Heribert Ringmann. His mother died giving birth to him; his father, a politically active anti-Nazi, was sent to the Eastern front as part of a Nazi punishment battalion where he was killed. As a result of this trauma, Eschenbach did not speak for a year, until he was asked if he wanted to play music. Wallydore Eschenbach, his mother's cousin, adopted him in 1946 and began to teach him to play the piano. In 1955 Eschenbach enrolled at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, studying piano with Hans-Otto Schmidt-Neuhaus and conducting with Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg. He then pursued further studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg with Eliza Hansen (piano) and Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg (conducting).

As a pianist, Eschenbach has won numerous first-place piano competition prizes. In 1964, he made his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon and signed a contract with the label. Eschenbach continued to study conducting with George Szell, with whom he worked for more than three years. In addition, he counted Herbert von Karajan as a mentor.

In 1981, Eschenbach became principal guest conductor of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, and was chief conductor from 1982 to 1986. He was chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg from 1998 to 2004. He was artistic director of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival from 1999 until 2003. From 2000 to 2010, Eschenbach was Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris.

In the United States, Eschenbach was music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1999. He was music director of the Ravinia Festival from 1994 to 2005. Eschenbach is credited with helping and supporting talented young musicians in their career development.

Eschenbach became the seventh Music Director of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2003. His appointment generated controversy because, at the time of the announcement, Eschenbach had not conducted the orchestra in over four years and there was a perceived lack of personal chemistry between him and the musicians. In October 2006, the orchestra and Eschenbach announced that he would conclude his tenure in Philadelphia at the close of the 2007-2008 season.

On September 25, 2008, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) appointed Eschenbach as its music director, effective with the 2010-11 season, as well as the newly created music director of the Kennedy Center. Source: Wikipedia

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