Famous German Conductors

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 1 
Robert Schumann
(One of the Greatest Composer of the Romantic Era which include 'Carnaval, Symphonic Studies and Kinderszenen')
Robert Schumann
4
Birthdate: June 8, 1810
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Zwickau, Germany
Died: July 29, 1856
Robert Schumann was a German pianist, music critic, and composer. An influential musician of the Romantic era, Schumann is considered one of the greatest composers of the era. Schumann was initially focused on becoming the finest pianist in Europe. However, a hand injury brought an end to his dream, forcing him to focus on composing.
 2 
Richard Wagner
(Known for His Operas and Music Dramas ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ and ‘Tristan und Isolde’)
Richard Wagner
4
Birthdate: May 22, 1813
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Leipzig, Germany
Died: February 13, 1883
German composer and conductor Richard Wagner is best remembered for his operas and music dramas. He explored the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, which combined many forms of art, including the visual, poetic, and musical. He also established the opera house Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which hosted his works The Ring and Parsifal.
 3 
Johannes Brahms
(One of the Romantic Period's Most Revered and Popular Composers)
Johannes Brahms
4
Birthdate: May 7, 1833
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: April 3, 1897
German composer, conductor, and pianist Johannes Brahms is considered as one of the "Three Bs" of music, the other two being Bach and Beethoven. He was known for his perfectionism. Some of his best-known works are Saint Anthony Variations and A German Requiem. His work mingled traditional and modern elements.
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 4 
Felix Mendelssohn
(Best Known for His Solo Piano Composition 'Songs Without Words' and Founder of 'Leipzig Conservatory')
Felix Mendelssohn
6
Birthdate: February 3, 1809
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: November 4, 1847

Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer of the early Romantic period. He was also a skilled organist, pianist, and conductor. He composed symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and organ music. His collection of lyrical piano songs Songs Without Words is among his best-known works. He was the founder of the public university The Leipzig Conservatory. He died aged just 38. 

 5 
Richard Georg Strauss
(Considered a Leading Composer of The Late Romantic & Early Modern Eras)
Richard Georg Strauss
4
Birthdate: June 11, 1864
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: September 8, 1949

Richard Georg Strauss was a German conductor, composer, violinist, and pianist. Renowned for his pioneering subtleties of orchestration, Strauss is generally regarded as a modernist, although he was initially considered a conservative, backwards-looking composer. Over the years, his music has influenced other prominent composers like Béla Viktor János Bartók, Karol Maciej Szymanowski, Edward Elgar, and Benjamin Britten.

 6 
Otto Klemperer
(Orchestra)
Otto Klemperer
3
Birthdate: May 14, 1885
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland
Died: July 6, 1973
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 7 
Wilhelm Furtwängler
(Conductor)
Wilhelm Furtwängler
3
Birthdate: January 25, 1886
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Schöneberg, Berlin, Germany
Died: November 30, 1954
 8 
Carl Maria von Weber
(A Significant Composer of the Romantic Era & Crucial Figure in the Development of German 'Romantische Oper')
Carl Maria von Weber
3
Birthdate: November 18, 1786
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Eutin, Germany
Died: June 5, 1826

Carl Maria von Weber was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and conductor. A significant musical figure in the Romantic era, he played a key role in the development of the German Romantische Oper (German Romantic opera). He also made significant contributions to vocal and choral music. He was a music critic as well and wrote music journalism. 

 9 
Max Bruch
(German Romantic Composer, Conductor & Educator)
Max Bruch
3
Birthdate: January 6, 1838
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
Died: October 2, 1920

Max Bruch composed his first song at 9 for his mother’s birthday and then earned a scholarship after creating a symphony at the tender age of 14. He worked extensively with the choral societies of Germany and is remembered for his iconic Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor.

 10 
Kurt Masur
(Conductor)
Kurt Masur
3
Birthdate: July 18, 1927
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brzeg, Poland
Died: December 19, 2015
 11 
Hans von Bülow
(Virtuoso Pianist and Romantic-Era Musician Who Became One of the 19th Century’s Most Authoritative Conductors)
Hans von Bülow
3
Birthdate: January 8, 1830
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dresden, Germany
Died: February 12, 1894

German composer and conductor Hans von Bülow was one of the greatest musical figures of the Romantic era. Known for his work with composers such as Richard Wagner, he eventually lost his wife, Cosima, to him. In his final years, his failing health made him retire to Cairo, where he eventually died.

 12 
Max Reger
(German Composer, Pianist, Organist and Conductor)
Max Reger
3
Birthdate: March 19, 1873
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Brand, Germany
Died: May 11, 1916

Max Reger was a German conductor, composer, organist, pianist, and academic teacher. Reger, who mainly composed Lieder, worked as a musical director at the court of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and at the Leipzig University Church. His works inspired Austrian-born composer Arnold Schoenberg. His life and career served as an inspiration to a couple of documentary films.

 13 
Heinz Kiessling
(Musician)
Heinz Kiessling
3
Birthdate: March 11, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nuremberg, Germany
Died: December 27, 2003
 14 
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
(Baritone)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
3
Birthdate: May 28, 1925
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: May 18, 2012
 15 
Otto Goldschmidt
(Composer)
Otto Goldschmidt
3
Birthdate: August 21, 1829
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: February 24, 1907

German composer and pianist Otto Goldschmidt was one of the first students at the Leipzig Conservatory. The son of a Jewish salesperson, he grew up to be one of the greatest musicians of the 19th century. He later settled in England and established the London Bach Choir.

 16 
Siegfried Wagner
(Composer)
Siegfried Wagner
3
Birthdate: June 6, 1869
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tribschen, Lucerne, Switzerland
Died: August 4, 1930
 17 
Franz Waxman
(Composer)
Franz Waxman
3
Birthdate: December 24, 1906
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chorzow, Poland
Died: February 24, 1967
 18 
Louis Spohr
(Former violinist, composer, and conductor whose compositions illustrate an early aspect of the Romantic period in German music)
Louis Spohr
3
Birthdate: April 5, 1784
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brunswick, Germany
Died: October 22, 1859
 19 
Bruno Walter
(One of the Most Famous Conductors of the 20th Century)
Bruno Walter
3
Birthdate: September 15, 1876
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: February 17, 1962

Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor, composer, and pianist. Born in Berlin to a Jewish family, he began performing in concerts as a young boy. He escaped from Germany during the Third Reich, first going to France and then to USA. He continued his musical career and held high-profile positions with the New York Philharmonic and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

 20 
Gershon Kingsley
(German-American Composer)
Gershon Kingsley
3
Birthdate: October 28, 1922
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bochum, Germany
Died: December 10, 2019
 21 
Christoph Eschenbach
(Pianist)
Christoph Eschenbach
2
Birthdate: February 20, 1940
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Wrocław, Poland

German pianist and conductor Christoph Eschenbach had lost his mother at birth and his musicologist father to the Nazis. Thus, orphaned as a child, Eschenbach took up music as a cure for his trauma. He later grew up to be the director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra.

 22 
Christian Thielemann
(Conductor)
Christian Thielemann
3
Birthdate: April 1, 1959
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
 23 
Karl Richter
(Conductor)
Karl Richter
2
Birthdate: October 15, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Plauen, Germany
Died: February 15, 1981

Karl Richter was a German conductor, pianist, choirmaster, organist, and harpsichordist. Interested in music from a young age, he received his training under prominent musicians like Günther Ramin and Karl Straube. He played and conducted a wide range of soul-searching and intense music. He also founded the Münchener Bach-Chor and the Münchener Bach-Orchester in honor of Johann Sebastian Bach. 

 24 
Carl Reinecke
(German Composer and Conductor Best Known for His Flute Sonata 'Undine')
Carl Reinecke
2
Birthdate: June 23, 1824
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Altona, Hamburg, Germany
Died: March 10, 1910

Carl Reinecke was a German conductor, composer, and pianist who was active in the mid-Romantic Era. The son of a music teacher, he received his music education from his father. He began to compose as a child and became a popular musician as a teenager. He led the Gewandhaus Orchestra for almost three decades and published hundreds of musical works.  

 25 
Christoph von Dohnanyi
(Conductor)
Christoph von Dohnanyi
2
Birthdate: September 8, 1929
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
 26 
Ferdinand Ries
(Composer)
Ferdinand Ries
2
Birthdate: November 28, 1784
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bonn, Germany
Died: January 13, 1838

Ferdinand Ries was a German composer best remembered for his association with Ludwig van Beethoven. He studied under Beethoven before going on to become his secretary. Ries is credited with helping Beethoven with the premieres of the latter's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies which were used in the Beethoven concert of 22 December 1808. 

 27 
Claus Ogerman
(Conductor)
Claus Ogerman
2
Birthdate: April 29, 1930
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Raciborz, Poland
Died: March 8, 2016
 28 
Peter Schreier
(Tenor in opera)
Peter Schreier
2
Birthdate: July 29, 1935
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Meissen, Germany
Died: December 25, 2019
 29 
Eugen Jochum
(Conductor)
Eugen Jochum
2
Birthdate: November 1, 1902
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Babenhausen, Germany
Died: March 26, 1987
 30 
Karl Haas
(German-American Classical Music Radio Host Known for His Sonorous Speaking Voice and Humanistic Approach to Music Appreciation)
Karl Haas
2
Birthdate: December 6, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Speyer, Germany
Died: February 6, 2005

Karl Haas was a German-American radio host best remembered for hosting classical music programs like Adventures in Good Music. He was also an accomplished musicologist as well as a respected conductor and pianist. During his career, Haas was honored with prestigious awards, including two George Foster Peabody Awards. In 1997, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

 31 
Charles Munch
(Conductor)
Charles Munch
2
Birthdate: September 26, 1891
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Strasbourg, France
Died: November 6, 1968
 32 
Otto Nicolai
(German Composer, Conductor and One of the Founders of the Vienna Philharmonic)
Otto Nicolai
1
Birthdate: June 9, 1810
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Königsberg, Russia
Died: May 11, 1849
 33 
Carl Loewe
(Composer)
Carl Loewe
2
Birthdate: November 30, 1796
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Löbejün, Wettin-Löbejün, Germany
Died: April 20, 1869
 34 
Hans Knappertsbusch
(Conductor)
Hans Knappertsbusch
1
Birthdate: March 12, 1888
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Elberfeld, Wuppertal, Germany
Died: October 25, 1965
 35 
Christoph Koncz
(Musician)
Christoph Koncz
1
Birthdate: September 3, 1987
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Konstanz, Germany
 36 
Wolfgang Sawallisch
(German Conductor and Pianist)
Wolfgang Sawallisch
3
Birthdate: August 26, 1923
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: February 22, 2013

Wolfgang Sawallisch was a German pianist and conductor best remembered as an acclaimed interpreter of Richard Georg Strauss. As a pianist, he worked with a number of renowned singers like Dame Margaret Price, Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. In 1993, Wolfgang Sawallisch was honored with the prestigious Suntory Music Award.

 37 
Franz Danzi
(Cellist)
Franz Danzi
1
Birthdate: May 15, 1763
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Schwetzingen, Germany
Died: April 13, 1826
 38 
Ferdinand Hiller
(German Composer, Conductor, Pianist, Writer and Music Director)
Ferdinand Hiller
1
Birthdate: October 24, 1811
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
Died: May 10, 1885

Ferdinand Hiller was a German pianist, composer, conductor, music director, and writer. He is credited with composing six operas and a violin concerto among other works. He also worked as a lecturer and writer and contributed immensely to several newspapers. Some of his published works are Musikalisches und Persönliches and Goethes musikalisches Leben.

 39 
Adolf Busch
(German Violinist, Conductor, and Composer)
Adolf Busch
1
Birthdate: August 8, 1891
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Siegen, Germany
Died: June 9, 1952

German violinist Adolf Busch founded groups such as the Vienna Konzertverein Quartet and the Busch Quartet. Though not Jewish, he fled to Switzerland, then England, and eventually to the US, after Hitler’s rise, as he strongly opposed Nazism. He later established a chamber orchestra and co-founded the Lucerne and Marlboro music festivals

 40 
Klaus Tennstedt
(Conductor)
Klaus Tennstedt
1
Birthdate: June 6, 1926
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Merseburg, Germany
Died: January 11, 1998
 41 
Hermann Scherchen
(Conductor)
Hermann Scherchen
1
Birthdate: June 21, 1891
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: June 12, 1966
 42 
Kurt Sanderling
(German Conductor)
Kurt Sanderling
1
Birthdate: September 19, 1912
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Orzysz, Poland
Died: September 18, 2011

Born in the German Empire, Kurt Sanderling became one of the leading conductors during the Cold War era. He overcame his removal from the Deutsche Oper Berlin by the Nazis and moved to the USSR. Over the years, he performed in Britain and the US.

 43 
Günter Wand
(Conductor)
Günter Wand
1
Birthdate: January 7, 1912
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Elberfeld, Wuppertal, Germany
Died: February 14, 2002
 44 
Paul Dessau
(Composer)
Paul Dessau
1
Birthdate: December 19, 1894
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
Died: June 28, 1979
 45 
William Steinberg
(German-American Conductor Who Directed the Pittsburgh Symphony From 1952 to 1976)
William Steinberg
1
Birthdate: August 1, 1899
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Cologne, Germany
Died: May 16, 1978

William Steinberg was a German-American conductor best remembered for directing the Pittsburgh Symphony between 1952 and 1976. He is also remembered for his association with the Cologne Opera where he became the principal conductor in 1924. William Steinberg is also credited with co-founding the Palestine Symphony, which was later renamed the Israel Philharmonic.

 46 
Theodore Thomas
(Violonist)
Theodore Thomas
1
Birthdate: October 11, 1835
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Esens, Germany
Died: January 4, 1905
 47 
Charles Hallé
(German Pianist and Conductor, and Founder of the 'Hallé Orchestra')
Charles Hallé
1
Birthdate: April 11, 1819
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hagen, Germany
Died: October 25, 1895

Sir Charles Hallé was an Anglo-German conductor and pianist. He is best remembered as the founder of the famous symphony orchestra, The Hallé. Charles Hallé played an important role in the development of musical education in England. In 1890, he was knighted for his service to music.

 48 
Carl Friedrich Zelter
(Composer)
Carl Friedrich Zelter
1
Birthdate: December 11, 1758
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: May 15, 1832
 49 
Wolfgang Heinz
(Film actor)
Wolfgang Heinz
1
Birthdate: May 18, 1900
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Plzeň Pilsen, Austria
Died: October 30, 1984
 50 
Gotthilf Fischer
(Conductor)
Gotthilf Fischer
1
Birthdate: February 11, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Plochingen, Germany
Died: December 11, 2020