10 Facts About Gerd Albrecht

Gerd Albrecht studied music in Kiel and in Hamburg, where his teachers included Wilhelm Bruckner-Ruggeberg.

Gerd Albrecht was a first-prize winner at the International Besancon Competition for Young Conductors at age 22.

Gerd Albrecht held posts at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich and the Hamburg State Opera.

Gerd Albrecht died at age 78 on 2 February 2014 in Berlin.

The musician's selection of Gerd Albrecht effectively meant the replacing of Czech conductor Jiri Belohlavek, who then in 1992 resigned from his position early.

Gerd Albrecht proved effective in improving the Czech Philharmonic's finances and at raising its international profile with foreign tours.

Gerd Albrecht is acknowledged to have been a musical success, and his recordings with the orchestra included music of Ervin Schulhoff.

Gerd Albrecht vetoed the engagement, ostensibly because the orchestra was too busy, although other speculation on the actual reason for the refusal was that the Vatican did not invite Gerd Albrecht.

The situation steadily deteriorated, with Gerd Albrecht painting himself in press interviews as a victim of racism and anti-German feeling and for being expected personally to atone for all past German misdeeds.

Gerd Albrecht resigned from this post a month later asserting that his musical authority had been undermined.