Role

:

Conductor  

Country

:

Netherlands

Birth

:

September 3, 1900 in Arnhem, The Netherlands

Death

:

April 13, 1959 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

Eduard van Beinum was a Dutch conductor who was born on September 3, 1900, in Arnhem, Netherlands. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. He started playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the violin and the viola. He studied music at the Amsterdam Conservatory and graduated in 1921. Van Beinum started his career as a violist in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra. He played in the orchestra for several years before he was appointed as the conductor of the Haarlem Orchestra in 1927. He conducted the orchestra for four years before he was appointed as the conductor of the Arnhem Orchestra in 1931. Van Beinum's career as a conductor took off when he was appointed as the principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam in 1945. He held the position until his death in 1959. During his tenure, he conducted the orchestra in many major performances and recordings. One of the highlights of Van Beinum's career was his performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in 1951. The performance was recorded and is considered one of the best recordings of the symphony. He also conducted the premiere of Henk Badings' Symphony No. 10 in 1957. Van Beinum was known for his interpretations of the works of Bruckner, Mahler, and Beethoven. He was also a champion of contemporary music and conducted many premieres of works by Dutch composers. Van Beinum was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1954 for his contributions to Dutch music. He was also awarded the Edison Award for his recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 9. Van Beinum died on April 13, 1959, while conducting a rehearsal of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. He was 58 years old. His death was a great loss to the world of classical music, and he is remembered as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.

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