Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Country

:

Switzerland

Birth

:

March 21, 1900 in Lódz, Poland

Death

:

March 5, 1973 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Paul Kletzki was a renowned conductor and composer of classical music. He was born on March 21, 1900, in Łódź, Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Kletzki was born into a Jewish family, and his father was a textile merchant. Kletzki showed an early interest in music and began playing the violin at the age of six. He later studied composition and conducting at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1921, Kletzki moved to Berlin, where he continued his studies at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik. He also began working as a freelance conductor and composer. In 1925, Kletzki won the Mendelssohn Prize for his Symphony No. 1. This award helped to establish his reputation as a composer. Kletzki's conducting career began to take off in the 1930s. He was appointed the principal conductor of the Berlin State Opera in 1933, but he resigned from this position in 1935 due to his opposition to the Nazi regime. Kletzki then moved to Italy, where he worked as a conductor and composer. He also became a naturalized Italian citizen. During World War II, Kletzki fled to Switzerland, where he continued to work as a conductor and composer. He conducted the Bern Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Kletzki also composed several works during this time, including his Symphony No. 3 and his Piano Concerto. After the war, Kletzki's career continued to flourish. He conducted many of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Kletzki was particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler. Kletzki also continued to compose during this time. He wrote several symphonies, concertos, and chamber works. His Symphony No. 4, which he composed in 1951, was particularly well-received. In 1954, Kletzki was appointed the principal conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He held this position until 1961, and during this time, he helped to establish the orchestra's reputation as one of the leading orchestras in the United Kingdom. Kletzki's final years were marked by health problems. He suffered a heart attack in 1966, which forced him to retire from conducting. He continued to compose, however, and he completed his Symphony No. 5 in 1970. Paul Kletzki died on March 5, 1973, in Lugano, Switzerland. He was 72 years old. Kletzki's legacy as a conductor and composer continues to be celebrated today. His recordings of the music of Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler are still highly regarded, and his compositions are still performed by orchestras around the world.

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