Maestro Seiji Ozawa, seen in 2009, was diagnosed in January with esophageal cancer. Maestro Seiji Ozawa, seen in 2009, was diagnosed in January with esophageal cancer. (Grace Liang/Reuters)

World renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa has given his first performance since undergoing nine months of treatment for throat cancer.

The 75-year-old Japanese conductor opened the Saito Kinen Festival in his homeland on Sunday. He is the festival's founder and art director. Ozawa conducted the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, using a chair for support.

"I have graduated from being a cancer patient," he told the audience. "But there's one small snag — my back, which had in the past given me trouble and is bad again."

Ozawa, musical director of the Vienna State Opera, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in January and has undergone surgery and treatment. He said back then he would take a six-month sabbatical.

But in April, he sent out a statement that the sabbatical would be extended and he would be cancelling his appearances in August as well as an upcoming fall concert series in Europe and Asia with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The conductor said he cut his work schedule at the advice of his doctors.

Ozawa is best known for leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra for nearly 30 years.

His resumé also includes stints with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony and the New York Philharmonic.