Schüchter, Wilhelm

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Schüchter, Wilhelm

Schüchter, Wilhelm, German conductor; b. Bonn, Dec. 15, 1911; d. Dortmund, May 27, 1974. He studied conducting with Abendroth and composition with Jarnach at the Cologne Hochschule für Musik. He then conducted opera at Würzburg (1937–40), and served as assistant to Karajan in Aachen (1940–42); also conducted at the Berlin Städtische Opera (1942–43). In 1947 he was appointed to the post of first conductor of the North German Radio Sym. Orch. in Hamburg. After serving as principal guest conductor of the NHK Sym. Orch. in Tokyo (1958–61), he settled in Dortmund as Generalmusikdirektor in 1962; was named artistic director of its Städtische Oper in 1965, and conducted the inaugural production at its new opera house in 1966. He acquired a fine reputation as a Wagnerian interpreter.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire