Sanderling, Kurt

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Sanderling, Kurt

Sanderling, Kurt , eminent German conductor, father of Thomas Sanderling; b. Arys, Sept. 9, 1912. He received a private education. In 1931 he became a répétiteur at the Berlin Städtische Oper. Being Jewish, he left Nazi Germany for the Soviet Union in 1936. After serving as a conductor with the Moscow Radio Orch. (1936–41), he was a conductor with the Leningrad Phil (1941–60). From 1960 to 1977 he was chief conductor of the (East) Berlin Sym. Orch., and also of the Dresden State Orch. from 1964 to 1967. In 1965 he made his first appearance at the Salzburg Festival. He made his London debut in 1970 with the Gewandhaus Orch. of Leipzig. From 1972 he made appearances as a guest conductor of the New Philharmonia Orch. (later the Philharmonia Orch.) of London. He also was engaged as a guest conductor throughout Europe, North America, and Japan. Sanderling acquired a distinguished reputation as an interpreter of the Austro-German repertoire, especially of Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler. He also was an outstanding interpreter of the music of Shostakovich.

Bibliography

H. Bitterlich, K. S.: Für Sie portratiert (Leipzig, 1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire