Later he became conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and then the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, both of which he led from 1895 until his death.
Later he became conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and then in 1895 he succeeded Carl Reinecke as director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. In the same year he became principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and held both positions until his death.