1. Kurt Masur had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and served as music director of the New York Philharmonic for about ten years.
26 Facts About Kurt Masur
1. 2.
Kurt Masur made many recordings of classical music with major orchestras.
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Kurt Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany, and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony.
4.
Kurt Masur's father was an electrical engineer, and as a young boy he completed an electrician's apprenticeship; he occasionally worked in his father's shop.
5.
Kurt Masur was sent to fight; "[o]ut of the 150 people of his unit, only 27 [including Masur] survived", before being captured by American and British forces on 1 May 1945.
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Kurt Masur left at 21, never finishing his studies, when offered a job as repetiteur at the Landestheater Halle an der Saale.
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Kurt Masur was married three times, and had a total of five children.
8.
Irmgard died in 1972 in a car accident in which Kurt Masur was severely injured.
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Kurt Masur conducted the Dresden Philharmonic for three years ending in 1958 and again from 1967 to 1972.
10.
Kurt Masur worked with the Komische Oper of East Berlin.
11.
In 1991, Kurt Masur became music director of the New York Philharmonic.
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Kurt Masur was an unexpected choice who brought change to that orchestra at a time when its reputation had declined.
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Kurt Masur stood down as the NYP's music director in 2002 and was named its Music Director Emeritus, a new title created for him.
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The critical consensus was that Kurt Masur improved the playing of the orchestra over his tenure.
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In 2000, Kurt Masur became principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and held this position until 2007.
16.
On his 80th birthday, 18 July 2007, Kurt Masur conducted musicians from both orchestras at a Proms concert in London.
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Kurt Masur held the lifetime title of Honorary Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
18.
In 2012, following a series of cancellations of concert engagements, Kurt Masur disclosed on his website that he had Parkinson's disease.
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Kurt Masur's students include Kahchun Wong, Matthias Manasi, Cornelius Meister, Ivo Hentschel and Adrian Prabava.
20.
In 2015, Kurt Masur died at the age of 88 in Greenwich, Connecticut, from complications of Parkinson's disease.
21.
Kurt Masur's funeral was held in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, with music played by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Thomanerchor.
22.
Kurt Masur was survived by his third wife, as well as his daughters Angelika and Carolin, his sons, Ken-David, Michael and Matthias, and nine grandchildren.
23.
Kurt Masur received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1995, and the Gold Medal of Honor for Music from the National Arts Club in 1996.
24.
Kurt Masur was made an honorary citizen by his hometown, Brieg.
25.
In 2001, Kurt Masur became an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music.
26.
Kurt Masur received a Goldene Henne Award in 2014 for his work in public policy.