The following listings give vital dates for various conductors and mention those cities or orchestras with which he was somehow connected. He might have been music director, full-time conductor, associate conductor, or he might have made some records with that orchestra. The pronunciations are approximate.
CLAUDIO ABBADO
Born June 26, 1933 in Milan
La Scala, London Symphony, Vienna State Opera, Vienna Philharmonic. (“uh-BAH-do”)
MAURICE ABRAVANEL
Born Jan. 6, 1903 in Saloniki, Greece
Died Sept. 22, 1993
Utah Symphony. (He was Jewish and lived much of his life in Switzerland.)
ANTONIO de ALMEIDA
Born in 1928 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Portuguese Radio Symphony, Lisbon Opera, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Nice Opera and Philharmonic. (Although French, he studied in the USA. “al-MAY-duh”)
KAREL ANCERL
Born May 11, 1908 in Tucapy, Bohemia
Died July 3, 1973 in Toronto
Prague Radio, National Theatre, Czech Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony. (He was interned at Auschwitz during WWII, where wife and family were killed; after Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia he fled to Canada.)
ERNEST ANSERMET
Born Nov. 11, 1883 in Vevey, Switzerland
Died Feb. 20, 1969 in Geneva
He founded Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in 1918, conducting it until 1967. (“an-sir-may”)
VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY
Born May 6, 1937 in Gorky, USSR
Philharmonia Orchestra in London, Royal Philharmonic in London, Radio Symphony Orchestra in Berlin.
JOHN BARBIROLLI
Born Dec. 2, 1899 in London
Died July 29, 1970 in London
Covent Garden, New York Philharmonic, Halle (Manchester), Houston Symphony. (Born Giovanni Battista Barbirolli, he rose from Cockney cellist to succeed Toscanini at the New York Philharmonic in 1936 and ultimately become “Sir John.” His musicians loved him; he’d even offer them rides home after performances.)
DANIEL BARENBOIM
Born Nov. 15, 1942 in Buenos Aires
English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Opera Bastille, Chicago Symphony, German State Opera. (He emigrated to Israel in 1952. His first of two wives was the late Jacqueline du Pre.)
SERGE BAUDO
Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, Prague Symphony.
SIR THOMAS BEECHAM
Born June 29, 1879 in St. Helens, Lancashire, UK
Died March 8, 1961 in London
New Symphony Orchestra, Beecham Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Covent Garden. (His family made Beecham’s pills, and the family money enabled him to found orchestras and do as he liked. He stirred controversy everywhere. He married three times. Unfaithfully Yours, a funny movie about a symphony conductor, starred Rex Harrison in a role modeled on Beecham. He championed Delius’ music. He appeared on the cover of Time in 1943.)
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Born Aug. 25, 1918 in Lawrence, Mass.
Died Oct. 14, 1990 in NYC
NYC Center Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Berkshire Music Center, NY Philharmonic.
HERBERT BLOMSTEDT
Born July 11, 1927 in Springfield, Mass.
Norkkoeping Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Danish Radio, Swedish Radio, Dresden Staatskapelle, San Francisco Symphony. (He grew up in Sweden and is a Swedish citizen.)
KARL BOHM
Born Aug. 28, 1894 in Graz, Austria
Died Aug. 14, 1981 in Salzburg
Bavarian State Opera, Darmstadt, Hamburg State Opera, Dresden, Vienna, Vienna State Opera, Berlin Philharmonic, NY Met, London Symphony. (He was in Dresden and Vienna during WWII. A few years after WWII are unaccounted for. He conducted opera in Buenos Aires in 1950-54. He was considered one of the top conductors in the world at the time of his death. Detractors, though, lamented his Nazi connections during the war.)
GEORGES BOLET
Born Nov. 15, 1914
Died Oct. 16, 1990
HEINZ BONHARTZ
Leipzig Gewandhaus.
RICHARD BONYNGE
Born Sept. 29, 1920 in Sydney, Australia
Vancouver Opera, Australian Opera. (A pianist, he was diva Joan Sutherland’s accompanist. He married her in 1954. “bonning”)
WILLI BOSKOVSKY
Born 1908
Died 1991
He was a violinist-turned-conductor who specialized in Johan Strauss’ music.
PIERRE BOULEZ
Born March 26, 1925 in Montbrison, France
Baden-Baden, BBC, NY Philharmonic.
SIR ADRIAN BOULT
Born May 8, 1889 in Chester, UK
Died Feb. 22, 1983 in London
City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC, London Philharmonic. (He retired in 1979. “bolt”)
IGOR BUKETOFF
Berlin Symphony, Iceland Symphony. (He wrote a chorus for Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.)
HANS von BULOW
Born Jan. 8, 1830 in Dresden
Married Cosima Liszt on Aug. 18, 1857 (divorced 1870)
Died Feb. 12, 1894 in Cairo
Munich court opera, Meiningen court orchestra, Hannover, Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonic.
RICCARDO CHAILLY
Born Feb. 20, 1953 in Milan
La Scala, West Berlin radio symphony, Teatro Communale di Bologna, Concertgebouworkest in Amsterdam. (“shy-ee”)
ANDRE CLUYTENS
Born March 26, 1905 in Antwerp
Died June 3, 1967 in Paris
Opera Comique in Paris, Paris Conservatoire. (“klee-tawh”)
WALTER DAMROSCH
Born Jan. 30, 1862 in Breslau, Germany
Died Dec. 22, 1950 in NYC
NY Philharmonic.
ANDREW DAVIS
Born Feb. 2, 1944 in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, UK
Philharmonia, Toronto Symphony, BBC Symphony.
SIR COLIN DAVIS
Born Nov. 29, 1927 in Weybridge, Surrey, UK
BBC Scottish Orchestra, Sadler’s Wells Opera, BBC Symphony, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Bavarian Radio, Boston Symphony.
PIERRE DERVAUX
Born in 1917 in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France
Opera Comique in Paris, Orchestre Nationale de Paris, Paris Opera, Paris Conservatoire. (“der-vo”)
CHRISOPH VON DOHNANYI
Born Nov. 8, 1929 Berlin
Cologne Radio, Hamburg State Opera, Cleveland Orchestra. (He also conduction opera in Frankfurt, Lubeck and Kassel. “don-YON-ee”)
ANTAL DORATI
Born April 9, 1906 in Budapest, Hungary
Died Nov. 13, 1933 Gerzensee, Switzerland
Royal Opera in Budapest, Minneapolis, BBC, Detroit, Stockholm Philharmonic, Philharmonia Hungarica, National Symphony in Washington, D.C., Concertgabouw. (He conducted the famous best-selling classical record, the Tchaikovsky 1812. “door-RAW-tee”)
CHARLES DUTOIT
Born Oct. 7, 1936 in Lausanne, Switzerland
Berne Symphony, Zurich Radio, Gothenburg, Montreal Symphony, Orchestre Nationale de France,. (His second wife, of three, was pianist Martha Argerich. “duh-twa”)
SIXTEN EHRLING
Born April 3, 1918 in Malmo, Sweden
Royal Swedish Opera, Detroit Symphony. (He fled his post in Sweden amid great controversy over his style. He replaced Paul Paray in Detroit.)
VLADIMIR FEDOSEYEV
Moscow Radio Orchestra.
LUKAS FOSS
Born Aug. 14, 1922 in Berlin
Buffalo Symphony, Milwaukee
RAFAEL FRUHBECK de BERGOS
Born Sept. 15, 1933 in Bergos, Spain
Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Vienna Philharmonic.
WILHELM FURTWANGLER
Born Jan. 25, 1886 Berlin
Died Nov. 30, 1954 in Baden-Baden, Germany
Mannheim, Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin Staatskapelle, Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Berlin Philharmonic. (He conducted the famed Berlin Philharmonic during WWII. His involvement with the Nazis remained controversial. “fert-vang-lur”)
JOHN ELIOT GARDINER
Born April 20, 1943 in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, UK
Monteverdi Orchestra, Opera de Lyons, Norddeutsche Rundfunk. (He founded the Monteverdi.)
SIR ALEXANDER GIBSON
Born Dec. 11, 1926 Motherwell, UK
Sadler’s Wells Opera, Scottish National, London Symphony. (He was knighted in 1977.)
CARLO-MARIA GIULINI
Born May 9, 1914 in Barletta, Italy
Died June 14, 2005 in Brescia, northern Italy
RAI Orchestra in Rome, Milan, La Scala, Vienna Symphony, Chicago, Los Angeles Philharmonic. (He served in the Italian army in Jugoslavia during WWII. “ju-lee-nee”)
SIR CHARLES GROVES
Born March 10, 1915 in London
Died 1992
BBC Northern, Bournemouth Symphony, Royal Liverpool, Royal Philharmonic. (He specialized in Handel. He was knighted in 1973.)
BERNARD HAITINK
Born Feb. 4, 1929 in Amsterdam
Netherlands Radio Orchestra, Concertgebouworkest, London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House Covent Garden. (“high-tink”)
VERNON HANDLEY
Born Nov. 11, 1930 in London
Guildford Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Malmo Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic. (He was a protege of Sir Adrian Boult.)
NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT
Born Dec. 6, 1929 Berlin
Concentus Musicus Wien/Vienna. Concertgabouw in Amsterdam. (He was a cellist in Vienna Symphony in 1952-69, founded Concentus Musicus in 1957.)
BERNARD HERRMANN
London Philharmonic.
CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD
Born Sept. 10, 1941 in Nottingham, UK
(He cofounded the Early Music Consort in 1967, then founded Academy of Ancient Music in 1973.)
YASCHA HORENSTEIN
Born May 6, 1898 in Kiev
Died april 2, 1973 in London
Vienna, Dusseldorf Opera.
JEAN-PIERRE JACQUILLAT
Lamoureux, Orchestre de Paris.. (He directed the Orchestre de Paris in a popular version of La Marseillaise. “jah-key-yah”)
MARISS JANSONS
Born Jan. 14, 1943 in Riga, Latvia
Oslo Philharmonic. (“yon-sons”) (His father suffered a fatal heart attack while conducting. The son also had a heart attack while conducting. This happened in the 1990s and he had a series of such attacks, but he survived and remained quite active.)
NEEME JARVI
Born June 7, 1937 in Talinn, Estonia
Estonian Radio Orchestra and state opera, Gothenburg Symphony, Scottish National, Detroit Symphony. (Son Paavo became a conductor, too. “nay-me yar-vee”)
EUGEN JOACHUM
Born Nov. 1, 1902 in Babenhausen, Bavaria
Died March 26, 1987 Munich
Munich, Kiel, Mannheim, Duisburg, Hamburg State Opera and Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio, Concertgebouw, Bamberg. (“oy-guin yaw-kim”)
HERBERT von KARAJAN
Born April 5, 1908 in Salzburg, Austria
Died 1989 Anif nr Salzburg, Austria
Ulm, Aachen, Berlin State Opera and Staatskapelle, Philharmonia, Vienna Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera, Salzburg Festival. (He held the post in Berlin in 1938-42; because of his Nazi connections he was persona non grata in Israel and, for many years, in the U.S. Even so, he was considered the world’s top conductor. “carry-yon”)
ISTVAN KERTESZ
Born Augu. 28, 1928 Budapest
Drowned June 16, 1973 while swimming in Mediterranean off Israel
Gyor, Budapest Opera, Augsburg in West Germany, London Symphony.
CARLOS KLEIBER
Born July 3, 1930 in Berlin
Died July 13, 2004
Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Zurich, Wurttemburg State Opera, Stuttgart, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Vienna Philharmonic (recordings are considered gems). (Son of conductor Erich Kleiber, he held no steady job after 1973. His guest appearances grew more infrequent as his legendary status increased. “kli-ber”)
OTTO KLEMPERER
Born May 14, 1885 in Breslau, Austro-Hungary
Died July 6, 1973 Zurich
German Theatre in Prague, Hamburg, Strasbourg, Cologne, Wiesbaden, Kroll Opera in Berlin, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Budapest Opera, Philharmonia in London. (His performances were considered stately and often definitive. Son Werner, born 1920 in Cologne, played "Col. Klink" in Hogan's Heroes on US TV.)
KIRIL KONDRASHIN
Born March 6, 1914 in Moscow
Died Feb. 7, 1981 in Amsterdam
Moscow Philharmonic, Concertgabouw. (He was the conductor for the famous RCA recording of Van Cliburn performing Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto in Carnegie Hall in 1958. He was the USSR’s foremost conductor when he defected in Holland in 1975.)
SERGE KOUSSEVITSKY
Born July 26, 1874 in Vishy-Volochok, Russia
Died June 4, 1951 in Boston
State Symphony in Petrograd, Boston Symphony. (He was a double-bass player in Russia until founding his own orchestra. He was known as an autocratic tyrant.)
JOSEF KRIPS
Born April 8, 1902 in Vienna
Died Oct. 13, 1974 in Geneva
Volksoper, Aussig, Dortmund, Karlsruhe, Vienna State Opera, Belgrade, London Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony. (He was part Jewish, which hindered his career during the war.)
RAFAEL KUBELIK
Born June 29, 1914 in family castle in Bychory, Czechoslovakia
Died Aug. 11, 1996 in Kastanienbaum
Brno National Theatre, Czech Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Covent Garden, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Met in NY. (He fled Czechoslovakia in 1948, returned to Czech Philharmonic in 1990. “coo-buh-lick”)
SIEGFRIED LANDAU
Born in Berlin
Westchester Symphony, Chattanooga Opera, Brooklyn Philharmoni, Westphalian Symphonyc. (He left Germany in 1939, spent year in London, emigrated to US. He was protege of Pierre Monteux.)
LOUIS LANE
Born Dec. 25, 1923 in Eagle Pass, Texas
Akron, Atlanta, Cleveland.
ERICH LEINSDORF
Born Feb. 4, 1912 Vienna
NY Met, Rochester Philharmonic, Boston. (He ran a tight ship. “lines-dorf”)
GUSTAV LEONHARDT
Born May 30, 1928
RAYMOND LEPPARD
Born Aug. 1, 1927 London
BBC Northern, St. Louis, Indianapolis. (“LEP-erd”)
JAMES LEVINE
Born July 23, 1943 in Cincinnati
Cleveland, Met in NY.
ANDREW LITTON
Born May 16, 1959 NYC
Bournemouth Symphony.
LORIN MAAZEL
Born March 6, 1930 in Neuilly, France
Pittsburgh, West Berlin Deutsche Opera and radio symphony, Cleveland, Vienna State Opera, New Philharmonia in London, Orchestre Nationale de France, Berlin Philharmonic.
SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS
Born Nov. 17, 1925 in Schenectady, New York
Sadler’s Wells Opera, London, Sydney, Welsh National Opera. (He grew up in Australia.)
GUSTAV MAHLER
Born 1860 in Austro-Hungary
Died May 18, 1911 in Vienna
Leipzig, Royal Hungarian Opera, Budapest, Hamburg City Opera, Vienna Court Opera, Vienna Philharmonic, NY Met, NY Philharmonic. (He was also a noted composer.)
SIR NEVILLE MARRINER
Born 1924 in April 15, Lincoln, UK
Academy of St. Martin in-the-Fields Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra. (He founded the St. Martin orchestra.)
JEAN MARTINON
Born Jan. 10, 1910 in Lyons, France
Died March 1, 1976 in Paris
Paris Conservatoire, Bordeaux Symphony, London Philharmonic, Israeli Philharmonic, Dusseldorf, Chicago. (He took over in Chicago when Reiner retired in 1963. “mar-tee-nawh”)
KURT MASUR
Born July 18, 1927 in Brieg, German Silicia
Erfurt, Leipzig State Opera, Dresden Philharmonic, Schwerin State Opera, Komische Oper in Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, NY Philharmonic.
ZUBIN MEHTA
Born in June 29, 1936 in Bombay, India
Montreal Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NY Philharmonic, Israeli Philharmonic. (He’s married twice. “may-tuh”)
WILLEM MENGELBURG
Born March 28, 1871 in Utrecht, The Netherlands
Died March 21, 1951 in Chur, Switzerland
Lucerne, Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, Frankfort Museum, NY Philharmonic. (He was kicked out of Holland for collaborating with the Nazis and died in exile.)
SIR YEHUDI MENUHIN
Born April 22, 1916 NYC
Died March 12, 1999
Menuhin Festival Orchestra. (He was a celebrity violinist, even as a child. He became a British citizen in 1985, hence the title.
DMITRI MITROPOULOS
Born March 1, 1896 in Athens, Greece
Died Nov. 2, 1960 Milan
Berlin State Opera, Athens Symphony, Orchestre Lamoureux in Paris, Minneapolis Symphony, NY Philharmonic, NY Met. (He became a US citizen in 1946. He led the NY Philharmonic in 1949-58, rumors of his homosexuality helping grease the skids there. He died during rehearsal in La Scala.)
PIERRE MONTEUX
Born April 4, 1875 in Paris
Died July 1, 1964 in Hancock, Maine
Ballet Russes, Boston Symphony, Concertgabouw, Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony. (“mon-tuh”)
CHARLES MUNCH
Born Sept. 26, 1891 Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, France
Died Nov. 6, 1968 Richmond, Va.
Orchestre de la Societe Symphonique de Paris, Boston Symphony. (Bostonians revered him so much that they didn’t fret about rumors that he was having an affair with his niece, pianist Nicole Henriot Schweitzer.)
RICCARDO MUTI
Born July 27, 1941 in Naples, Italy
Philharmonia in London, Philadelphia, La Scala. (He was embroiled in a major artistic controversy in Milan in 2004. “moo-tee”)
VACLAV NEUMANN
Born Nov. 29, 1920 in Prague
Died Sept. 2, 1995
Prague Symphony, Prague Philharmonic, Berlin Komische Oper, Leipzig Opera, Wurttemburg state theatre, Stuttgart, Czech Philharmonic. (He was a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic when Rafael Kubelik fled the Communist uprising. Neumann then became conductor. “NOY-mun”)
ROGER NORRINGTON
Born March 16, 1934 in Oxford
Kent Opera. (He founded London Classical Players in 1978.)
EUGENE ORMANDY
Born Nov. 18, 1899 in Budapest
Died Feb. 12, 1985 Philadelphia
Minneapolis Symphony, Philadelphia. (He was born Eugen Blau and emigrated to US in 1921. “OR-mun-dee”)
SEIJI OZAWA
Born Sept. 1, 1935 in Hoten, Manchuria, China of Japanese parents
Toronto Symphony, San Francisco, Boston, Berkshire Music Festival. (“oh-zaw-wah”)
PAUL PARAY
Born May 24, 1886 in Le Treport, France
Died Oct. 10, 1979 in Monte Carlo
Detroit Symphony. (While in the French army in WWI, he was taken prisoner by the Germans.)
ANDREW PENNY
Born in Hull, England
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
MURRAY PERAHIA
Born April 19, 1927
He’s a pianist-turned-conductor.
LIBOR PESEK
Born June 22, 1933 in Prague
Prague Chamber, Sebastian, State Chamber Orchestra of Czechoslovakia, Frysk Orkest in Holland, Overijssels Orkest in Holland, Slovak Philharmonic, Brataslava, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. (pesh-ek”)
JONEL PERLEA
Born in Ograda, Romania
Leipzig Opera, Bucharest Opera. (He took over in Bucharest at age 30. He was a professor at the Royal Academy in Bucharest in 1936-44, often serving as a guest conductor. He continued touring as guest conductor many years after that. Among his stops were La Scala, the Met and the NBC Symphony.)
TREVOR PINNOCK
Born Dec. 16, 1946 in Canterbury, Kent, England
(He founded the English Concert.)
GEORGES PRETRE
Born Aug. 14, 1929 (some say 1924) in Waziers, France
Opera Comique in Paris, Royal Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony. (He took over Royal Philharmonic when Beecham died. Although he conducted most everywhere around the world, his career centered on Paris, and it has lasted well over 60 years. Conservatives sometimes criticize him for injecting drama into his performances.)
ANDRE PREVIN
Born April 6, 1929 in Berlin
St. Louis, Houston, London Symphony, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles. (He was born Andreas Ludwig Priwin and married film actress Mia Farrow. “prev-in”)
SIMON RATTLE
Born Jan. 19, 1955 in Birmingham, UK
City of Birmingham Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic.
FRITZ REINER
Born Dec. 19, 1888 in Budapest
Died Nov. 15, 1963 in NYC
Budapest People’s Opera, Dresden Court, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Chicago.
EDOUARD VAN REMOORTEL
Born in 1926 in Brussels
Zagreb Chamber Orchestra, Bamberg, Pro Musica, London Symphony.
HANS RICHTER
Born April 4, 1843 in Gyor, Austro-Hungary
Died Dec. 5, 1916 in Bayreuth
Munich court, Royal Hungarian Opera, Vienna Court Opera, Vienna Philharmonic, Bayreuth, Halle Orchestra in Manchester. (He premiered Wagner’s Ring, two Brahms symphonies, four Bruckner symphonies and Elgar’s best music.)
MSTISLAV ROSTOPOVICH
Born March 27, 1927 in Bako, USSR
National Symphony in Washington, D.C. (He was a world-known cellist until defecting to the US and taking over National Symphony from Antol Dorati. Some, however, saw him as a “professional anti-Communist” bolstering his fortunes through connections with conservative politicians. The public learned years later that he minimized US taxes by traveling to Canada.)
WITOLD ROWICKI
Born in 1914 in Taganrog, Poland
Polish Radio Symphony, London Symphony. (He began playing the violin and viola in the Cracow Philharmonia. He founded the Polish Radio Symphony in 1945. In 1950 he founded the orchestra that became the Warsaw National Philharmonic.)
GENNADY ROZHDESTVENSKY
Born May 4, 1931 in Moscow
Bolshoi, BBC Symphony, Vienna Symphony, USSR Ministry of Culture Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic.
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
Born June 30, 1958 in Helsinki
Swedish Radio Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic.
SIR MALCOLM SARGENT
Born April 29, 1895 in Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK
Died Oct. 3, 1967 in London
Royal Choral Society, Halle Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Symphony. (A rival described him as a “dandified womanizer” and toady for Beecham.)
WOLFGANG SAWALLISCH
Born Aug. 26, 1933 in Munich
Bavarian State Opera, Philadelphia. (“suh-vahl-ish”)
HERMANN SCHERCHEN
Born June 21, 1891 in Berlin
Died June 12, 1966 in Paris
Riga, Berlin, Frankfurt, Winterthur, Koenigsberg. (He left Germany for Switzerland in 1932.)
THOMAS SCHIPPERS
Born March 9, 1930 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Died Dec. 16, 1977 in NYC
Cincinnati.
KARL SCHURICHT
Born July 3, 1880 in Danzig
Died Jan. 7, 1957 in Corseaux-sur-Vevey, Switzerland
Weisbaden, Concertgebouw, The Hague Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic.
GERARD SCHWARZ
Born Aug. 19, 1947
Seattle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
JERZY SEMKOW
St. Louis Symphony.
GUISEPPE SINOPOLI
Born Nov. 2, 1946 in Venice, Italy
Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Dresden Staatskapelle. (“suh-NOPP-uh-lee”)
SIR GEORG SOLTI
Born Oct. 21, 1912 in Budapest
Died Sept. 5, 1997
Bavarian state opera, Frankfurt Oper, Covent Garden, Chicago, London Philharmonic. (He became a British citizen in 1972, used his “Sir George” appellation even while employed in Chicago. He was active until his death. “scholl-tee”)
LUDWIG SPOHR
Born April 5, 1784 in Brunswick, Germany
Died Oct. 22, 1859 in Cassel
(He became the first conductor to use a baton in 1820 when he led the Royal Philharmonic in London. He was a violinist who married a harpist. After she died, he married a pianist. Radical political beliefs and a broken arm ruined his career.)
LEOPOLD STOKOWSKI
Born April 18, 1882 Marylebone, London
Died Sept. 13, 1977 Nether Wallop, Hampshire, UK
Cincinnati, Philadelphia, NBC Symphony, Hollywood Bowl, Houston, founded American Symphony. (He married Olga Samaroff, aka Lucy Hickenlooper; Evangeline Johnson and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt.)
WILLIAM STEINBERG
Born Aug. 1, 1899 in Cologne, Germany
Died March 16, 1978 in NYC
Cologne Opera, Prague German Theatre, Frankfurt Opera, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Boston. (He was born Hans Wilhelm Steinberg. He departed Germany in 1933 and co-founded the Palestine Symphony, which later became the Israeli Philharmonic. He was known as a martinet. While with the Pittsburgh Symphony in the 1960s he recorded a series of technically superior vinyls on a “Command” label.)
RICHARD STRAUSS
Born July 11, 1864 in Munich
Died Oct. 8, 1949 in Garmisch-Parntekerchen, Germany
Meiningen, Munich Court Opera, Weimar Court Opera, Vienna Court Opera. (He's best remembered as a composer.)
YEVGENY SVETLANOV
born Sept. 6, 1929 Moscow
Died May 3, 2002
Bolshoi Theatre, USSR Symphony, London Symphony.
GEORGE SZELL
Born June 7, 1897 in Budapest
Died Aug. 30, 1970 in Cleveland
Berlin, Prague, Darmstadt, Dusseldorf, Berlin State Opera, Prague German Theatre, Scottish Orchestra, Cleveland. (“zell”)
YURI TEMIRKANOV
Born Dec. 10, 1938 in Nalchik, USSR
Leningrad Symphony, Kirov Opera in Leningrad, Leningrad Philharmonic.
KLAUS TENNSTEDT
Born June 6, 1926 in Merseburg, Germany
Karl Marx-Stadt, Dresden Landesoper, Schwerin Staatsoper, Keil Opera, North German Radio Symphony, Hamburg, NY Met, London Philharmonic.
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS
Born Dec. 21, 1944 in Hollywood, Calif.
Buffalo Philharmonic, London Symphony.
ARTURO TOSCANINI
Born March 25, 1867 in Parma, Italy
Died Jan. 16, 1957 in NYC
La Scala, NY Met (replacing Mahler), New York Philharmonic, BBC Symphony. (He was the most famous conductor of his day. “toss-cuh-nee-nee”)
EDO de WAART
Born June 1, 1941 in Amsterdam
Netherlands Wind Ensemble (founder), Rotterdam Philharmonic, San Francisco, Minnesota Orchestra. (He began as an oboe player in the Amsterdam Philharmonic and Concertgabouw. “duh vart”)
ALFRED WALLENSTEIN
Los Angeles Philharmonic. (He played cello under Toscanini in NYC.)
BRUNO WALTER
Born Sept. 15, 1876 in Berlin
Died Feb. 17, 1963 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Cologne, Hamburg, Breslau, Pressurg, Riga, Vienna, Munich, Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Vienna State Opera, New York Philharmonic. (His name at birth was Schlesinger. He became Mahler’s disciple. “VAL-ter”
ALBERT WOLFF
Born Jan. 19, 1884 in Paris
Died Feb. 20, 1970 in Paris
L’Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris.
SIR HENRY WOOD
Born March 3, 1869 in London
Died Aug. 19, 1944 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, UK
(He founded the Proms in 1895 and last directed them in 1944.)
DAVID ZINMAN
Born Aug. 9, 1936 NYC
Netherlands Chamber, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony.
