Allers, Franz
Allers, Franz
Allers, Franz, Czech-born American conductor; b. Karlsbad, Aug. 6, 1905; d. Las Vegas, Jan. 26, 1995. He studied violin at the Prague Cons., violin, piano, conducting, and composition at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (diploma, 1926), and musicology at the Univ. of Berlin (1926). After playing in the Berlin Phil. (1924–26), he conducted at the Wuppertal Theater (1926–33), in Usti nad Labem (1933–38), and with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He then settled in the U.S. and became a naturalized American citizen. He was active as a guest conductor with various orchs. and on Broadway. On Oct. 13, 1957, he made his N.Y.C. Opera debut conducting Die Fledermaus, which score he also chose for his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. on Nov. 30, 1963. He conducted at the Metropolitan until 1969; returned for the 1970–72 seasons and again in 1975–76. He was chief conductor of the Gàrtnerplatz State Theater in Munich (1973–76).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire