Role

:

Conductor Performer

Country

:

Spain

Birth

:

September 15, 1933 in Burgos, Spain

Death

:

June 11, 2014 in Pamplona, Spain

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was a Spanish conductor and composer who was born on September 15, 1933, in Burgos, Spain. He was born into a family of musicians, and his father was a violinist in the local orchestra. Frühbeck de Burgos began his musical education at a young age, studying violin and piano. He later studied composition and conducting at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. Frühbeck de Burgos began his career as a conductor in 1958, when he was appointed the conductor of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented conductor, and in 1962, he was appointed the principal conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra. He held this position for six years, during which time he conducted many important performances and recordings. In 1966, Frühbeck de Burgos made his debut with the New York Philharmonic, conducting a performance of Manuel de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain." This performance was a great success, and he was invited back to conduct the orchestra several times over the next few years. In 1969, he was appointed the principal conductor of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until 1976. During his time in Montreal, Frühbeck de Burgos conducted many important performances and recordings, including a complete cycle of Beethoven's symphonies. He also conducted the premiere of several works by Canadian composers, including André Prévost and Claude Champagne. In 1975, Frühbeck de Burgos made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducting a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2. This performance was a great success, and he was invited back to conduct the orchestra several times over the next few years. In 1978, he was appointed the principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Rome, a position he held until 1983. During his time in Rome, Frühbeck de Burgos conducted many important performances and recordings, including a complete cycle of the symphonies of Gustav Mahler. He also conducted the premiere of several works by Italian composers, including Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono. In 1980, Frühbeck de Burgos made his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic, conducting a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. This performance was a great success, and he was invited back to conduct the orchestra several times over the next few years. In 1982, he was appointed the principal conductor of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until 1997. During his time in Düsseldorf, Frühbeck de Burgos conducted many important performances and recordings, including a complete cycle of the symphonies of Johannes Brahms. He also conducted the premiere of several works by German composers, including Hans Werner Henze and Wolfgang Rihm. Frühbeck de Burgos was also a frequent guest conductor with many other orchestras around the world, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Frühbeck de Burgos was known for his interpretations of the music of Spanish composers, including Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Isaac Albéniz. He also had a particular affinity for the music of Gustav Mahler, and his recordings of Mahler's symphonies are considered some of the best ever made.

More....