READ Famous Conductors from Austria

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List of notable or famous conductors from Austria, with bios and photos, including the top conductors born in Austria and even some popular conductors who immigrated to Austria. If you're trying to find out the names of famous Austrian conductors then this list is the perfect resource for you. These conductors are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known conductor from Austria is included when available.

The list you're viewing is made up of many different people, including Max Steiner and Gustav Mahler.

This historic conductors from Austria list can help answer the questions "Who are some Austrian conductors of note?" and "Who are the most famous conductors from Austria?" These prominent conductors of Austria may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected Austrian conductors.

Use this list of renowned Austrian conductors to discover some new conductors that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. (88 items)

1

Alexander von Zemlinsky Dec. at 71 (1871-1942) Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher.

2

Alfred Rosé Dec. at 73 (1902-1975) Alfred Eduard Emmerich Rosé was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was the elder brother of Alma Rosé, son of Arnold Rosé, and the nephew of Gustav Mahler. He studied in ...more

3

Anton Schindler Dec. at 69 (1795-1864) Anton Felix Schindler was an associate, secretary, and early biographer of Ludwig van Beethoven. He was born in Medlov, Moravia and died in Bockenheim.

4

Anton Webern Dec. at 62 (1883-1945) Anton Webern was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student, significant follower of, and influence on Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of ...more

5

Arnold Schoenberg Dec. at 77 (1874-1951) Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg was an Austrian composer and painter, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School. With the ...more

6

Artur Bodanzky Dec. at 62 (1877-1939) Artur Bodanzky was an Austrian-American conductor particularly associated with the operas of Wagner.

7

Beat Furrer age 63 Beat Furrer is an Austrian composer and conductor of Swiss birth. Born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Furrer relocated to Vienna in 1975 to pursue studies with Roman Haubenstock-Ramati and Otmar ...more

8

Bruno Walter Dec. at 86 (1876-1962) Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he left Germany in 1933 to escape the Third Reich, settling finally in the United States in 1939. He worked ...more

9

Carl Millöcker Dec. at 57 (1842-1899) Carl Joseph Millöcker, was an Austrian composer of operettas and a conductor. He was born in Vienna, where he studied the flute at the Vienna Conservatory. While holding various conducting ...more

10

Carlos Kleiber Dec. at 74 (1930-2004) Carlos Kleiber was a German-born Austrian conductor who is widely regarded as being among the greatest conductors of the 20th century.

11

Christian Gansch age 58 Christian Gansch is a conductor.

12

Clemens Heinrich Krauss Dec. at 61 (1893-1954) Clemens Heinrich Krauss was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss. Krauss was born in Vienna out of wedlock to Clementine Krauss, ...more

13

Emil Paur Dec. at 77 (1855-1932) Emil Paur was an Austrian orchestra conductor. Paur was born in Czernowitz, Austria, now Ukraine, and trained in Vienna before working as a conductor in Kassel, Königsberg and Leipzig. He ...more

14

Erich Kleiber Dec. at 66 (1890-1956) Erich Kleiber was an Austrian conductor.

15

Erich Leinsdorf Dec. at 81 (1912-1993) Erich Leinsdorf was an Austrian-born American conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for ...more

16

Erich Wolfgang Korngold Dec. at 60 (1897-1957) Erich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austro-Hungarian composer who adopted US nationality. While his late Romantic compositional style was considered well out of vogue at the time he died, his music ...more

17

Ernő Dohnányi Dec. at 83 (1877-1960) Ernő Dohnányi was a Hungarian conductor, composer and pianist. He used a German form of his name, Ernst von Dohnányi, on most of his published compositions. The "von" ...more

18

Ernst Bachrich Dec. at 50 (1892-1942) Ernst Bachrich was an Austrian composer, conductor, and pianist. He composed piano music, chamber music and Lieder.

19

Ernst Kunwald Dec. at 71 (1868-1939) Ernst Kunwald was an Austrian conductor. Ernst Kunwald was born and died in Vienna. He studied law at the University of Vienna, earning his Dr. Juris in 1891. He also studied piano with Teodor ...more

20

Ernst von Schuch Dec. at 68 (1846-1914) Ernst Edler von Schuch, born Ernst Gottfried Schuch was an Austrian conductor who became famous through his working collaborations with Richard Strauss at the Dresden Court Opera. Schuch first ...more

21

Erwin Stein Dec. at 73 (1885-1958) Erwin Stein was an Austrian musician and writer, prominent as a pupil and friend of Schoenberg, with whom he studied between 1906 and 1910. He was one of Schoenberg’s principal assistants in ...more

22

Felix Mottl Dec. at 55 (1856-1911) Felix Josef von Mottl was an Austrian conductor and composer. He was regarded as one of the most brilliant conductors of his day. He composed three operas, of which Agnes Bernauer was the most ...more

23

Felix Weingartner Dec. at 79 (1863-1942) Paul Felix von Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg was an Austrian conductor, composer and pianist.

24

Ferdinand Grossmann Dec. at 83 (1887-1970) Ferdinand Grossmann was an Austrian choral conductor, vocal teacher and composer . He studied music in Linz. Some years later in Vienna he attended a class of conducting given by Felix ...more

25

Ferdinand Hellmesberger Dec. at 77 (1863-1940) Ferdinand Hellmesberger was an Austrian cellist and conductor.

26

Ferdinand Löwe Dec. at 60 (1865-1925) Ferdinand Löwe was an Austrian conductor.

27

Franz Salmhofer Dec. at 75 (1900-1975) Franz Salmhofer was an Austrian composer, clarinetist, conductor and poet. He studied the clarinet, composition and musicology in Vienna and was a pupil of Franz Schreker and Franz Schmidt. From ...more

28

Franz Schalk Dec. at 68 (1863-1931) Franz Schalk was an Austrian conductor. From 1918 to 1929 he was director of the Vienna State Opera, a post he held jointly with Richard Strauss from 1919 to 1924. He was later involved in the ...more

29

Franz Schreker Dec. at 56 (1878-1934) Franz Schreker was an Austrian composer, conductor, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, Schreker developed a style characterized by aesthetic plurality, timbral ...more

30

Franz Welser-Möst age 57 Franz Leopold Maria Möst, known professionally as Franz Welser-Möst, is an Austrian conductor. He is currently music director of the Cleveland Orchestra.

31

Friedrich Cerha age 92 Friedrich Cerha is an Austrian composer and conductor.

32

Fritz Mahler Dec. at 72 (1901-1973) Fritz Mahler was an Austrian conductor. Mahler's father was a cousin of the composer Gustav Mahler. In Europe he became a leading conductor with such ensembles as the Berlin Radio Symphony, the ...more

33

Fritz Stiedry Dec. at 85 (1883-1968) Fritz Stiedry was an Austrian conductor and composer.

34

Georg Hellmesberger, Sr. Dec. at 73 (1800-1873) Georg Hellmesberger, Sr. was an Austrian violinist, conductor, and composer. He was born in Vienna. His first music lesson was by his father. He went to school at the Cistercian Heiligenkreuz ...more

35

Georg Tintner Dec. at 82 (1917-1999) Georg Tintner, CM was an Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Although best known as a conductor, he was also a composer. As a child he was ...more

36

Gert Hofbauer age 81 Gert Hofbauer is an Austrian conductor and trumpeter. Born in Knittelfeld, Hofbauer studied the trumpet in Graz in 1958 and in 1960 at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in ...more

37

Gottfried von Preyer Dec. at 94 (1807-1901) Gottfried von Preyer was an Austrian composer, conductor and teacher. Preyer studied with Simon Sechter from 1828 to 1834. He became professor of harmony and composition at the Vienna ...more

38

Günter Neuhold age 70 Günter Neuhold is an Austrian conductor. He attended the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz and graduated in 1968 with a master's degree. He later studied ...more

39

Gustav Kuhn age 71

40

Gustav Mahler Dec. at 51 (1860-1911) Gustav Mahler was an Austrian late-Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and ...more

41

Hans Graf age 69 Hans Graf is an Austrian conductor. As a child, Graf learned the violin and the piano. He studied at the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria, and graduated with diplomas in piano and conducting. He ...more

42

Hans Richter Dec. at 73 (1843-1916) Hans Richter was an Austrian–Hungarian orchestral and operatic conductor.

43

Hans Rosbaud Dec. at 67 (1895-1962) Hans Rosbaud, was an Austrian conductor, particularly associated with the music of the twentieth century. Hans Rosbaud was born in Graz, Austria. As children, Hans and his brother Paul Rosbaud ...more

44

Hans Swarowsky Dec. at 76 (1899-1975) Hans Swarowsky was an Austrian conductor of Hungarian birth and Jewish descent. Swarowsky was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied the art of conducting under Felix Weingartner and Richard ...more

45

Heinrich Proch Dec. at 69 (1809-1878) Heinrich Proch was an Austrian composer. Proch studied jurisprudence and completed his training as a violinist in Vienna. From 1834 to 1867, he was a member of the Vienna Hofkapelle. He was also ...more

46

Heinrich Schiff age 66 Heinrich Schiff is an Austrian cellist and conductor. He studied cello with Tobias Kühne and André Navarra and made his solo debut in Vienna and London in 1971. He studied conducting ...more

47

Herbert von Karajan Dec. at 81 (1908-1989) Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, ...more

48

Hugo Riesenfeld Dec. at 60 (1879-1939) Hugo Riesenfeld was a Jewish Austrian-American composer. As a film director, he began to write his own orchestral compositions for silent films in 1917, and co-created modern production ...more

49

Ignaz Vitzthumb Dec. at 92 (1724-1816) Ignaz or Ignace Vitzthumb was an Austrian musician, composer and conductor active in the Austrian Netherlands. He was also music director of the La Monnaie theatre in Brussels.

50

Ignaz von Seyfried Dec. at 65 (1776-1841) Ignaz Joseph Ritter von Seyfried was an Austrian musician, conductor and composer. He was born and died in Vienna. According to a statement in his handwritten memoirs he was a pupil of both ...more

1 Alexander von Zemlinsky Dec. at 71 (1871-1942) Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher.

2 Alfred Rosé Dec. at 73 (1902-1975) Alfred Eduard Emmerich Rosé was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was the elder brother of Alma Rosé, son of Arnold Rosé, and the nephew of Gustav Mahler. He studied in ...more

3 Anton Schindler Dec. at 69 (1795-1864) Anton Felix Schindler was an associate, secretary, and early biographer of Ludwig van Beethoven. He was born in Medlov, Moravia and died in Bockenheim.

4 Anton Webern Dec. at 62 (1883-1945) Anton Webern was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student, significant follower of, and influence on Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of ...more

5 Arnold Schoenberg Dec. at 77 (1874-1951) Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg was an Austrian composer and painter, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School. With the ...more

6 Artur Bodanzky Dec. at 62 (1877-1939) Artur Bodanzky was an Austrian-American conductor particularly associated with the operas of Wagner.

7 Beat Furrer age 63 Beat Furrer is an Austrian composer and conductor of Swiss birth. Born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Furrer relocated to Vienna in 1975 to pursue studies with Roman Haubenstock-Ramati and Otmar ...more

8 Bruno Walter Dec. at 86 (1876-1962) Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he left Germany in 1933 to escape the Third Reich, settling finally in the United States in 1939. He worked ...more

9 Carl Millöcker Dec. at 57 (1842-1899) Carl Joseph Millöcker, was an Austrian composer of operettas and a conductor. He was born in Vienna, where he studied the flute at the Vienna Conservatory. While holding various conducting ...more

10 Carlos Kleiber Dec. at 74 (1930-2004) Carlos Kleiber was a German-born Austrian conductor who is widely regarded as being among the greatest conductors of the 20th century.

11 Christian Gansch age 58 Christian Gansch is a conductor.

12 Clemens Heinrich Krauss Dec. at 61 (1893-1954) Clemens Heinrich Krauss was an Austrian conductor and opera impresario, particularly associated with the music of Richard Strauss. Krauss was born in Vienna out of wedlock to Clementine Krauss, ...more

13 Emil Paur Dec. at 77 (1855-1932) Emil Paur was an Austrian orchestra conductor. Paur was born in Czernowitz, Austria, now Ukraine, and trained in Vienna before working as a conductor in Kassel, Königsberg and Leipzig. He ...more

14 Erich Kleiber Dec. at 66 (1890-1956) Erich Kleiber was an Austrian conductor.

15 Erich Leinsdorf Dec. at 81 (1912-1993) Erich Leinsdorf was an Austrian-born American conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for ...more

16 Erich Wolfgang Korngold Dec. at 60 (1897-1957) Erich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austro-Hungarian composer who adopted US nationality. While his late Romantic compositional style was considered well out of vogue at the time he died, his music ...more

17 Ernő Dohnányi Dec. at 83 (1877-1960) Ernő Dohnányi was a Hungarian conductor, composer and pianist. He used a German form of his name, Ernst von Dohnányi, on most of his published compositions. The "von" ...more

18 Ernst Bachrich Dec. at 50 (1892-1942) Ernst Bachrich was an Austrian composer, conductor, and pianist. He composed piano music, chamber music and Lieder.

19 Ernst Kunwald Dec. at 71 (1868-1939) Ernst Kunwald was an Austrian conductor. Ernst Kunwald was born and died in Vienna. He studied law at the University of Vienna, earning his Dr. Juris in 1891. He also studied piano with Teodor ...more

20 Ernst von Schuch Dec. at 68 (1846-1914) Ernst Edler von Schuch, born Ernst Gottfried Schuch was an Austrian conductor who became famous through his working collaborations with Richard Strauss at the Dresden Court Opera. Schuch first ...more

21 Erwin Stein Dec. at 73 (1885-1958) Erwin Stein was an Austrian musician and writer, prominent as a pupil and friend of Schoenberg, with whom he studied between 1906 and 1910. He was one of Schoenberg’s principal assistants in ...more

22 Felix Mottl Dec. at 55 (1856-1911) Felix Josef von Mottl was an Austrian conductor and composer. He was regarded as one of the most brilliant conductors of his day. He composed three operas, of which Agnes Bernauer was the most ...more

23 Felix Weingartner Dec. at 79 (1863-1942) Paul Felix von Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg was an Austrian conductor, composer and pianist.

24 Ferdinand Grossmann Dec. at 83 (1887-1970) Ferdinand Grossmann was an Austrian choral conductor, vocal teacher and composer . He studied music in Linz. Some years later in Vienna he attended a class of conducting given by Felix ...more

25 Ferdinand Hellmesberger Dec. at 77 (1863-1940) Ferdinand Hellmesberger was an Austrian cellist and conductor.

26 Ferdinand Löwe Dec. at 60 (1865-1925) Ferdinand Löwe was an Austrian conductor.

27 Franz Salmhofer Dec. at 75 (1900-1975) Franz Salmhofer was an Austrian composer, clarinetist, conductor and poet. He studied the clarinet, composition and musicology in Vienna and was a pupil of Franz Schreker and Franz Schmidt. From ...more

28 Franz Schalk Dec. at 68 (1863-1931) Franz Schalk was an Austrian conductor. From 1918 to 1929 he was director of the Vienna State Opera, a post he held jointly with Richard Strauss from 1919 to 1924. He was later involved in the ...more

29 Franz Schreker Dec. at 56 (1878-1934) Franz Schreker was an Austrian composer, conductor, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, Schreker developed a style characterized by aesthetic plurality, timbral ...more

30 Franz Welser-Möst age 57 Franz Leopold Maria Möst, known professionally as Franz Welser-Möst, is an Austrian conductor. He is currently music director of the Cleveland Orchestra.

31 Friedrich Cerha age 92 Friedrich Cerha is an Austrian composer and conductor.

32 Fritz Mahler Dec. at 72 (1901-1973) Fritz Mahler was an Austrian conductor. Mahler's father was a cousin of the composer Gustav Mahler. In Europe he became a leading conductor with such ensembles as the Berlin Radio Symphony, the ...more

33 Fritz Stiedry Dec. at 85 (1883-1968) Fritz Stiedry was an Austrian conductor and composer.

34 Georg Hellmesberger, Sr. Dec. at 73 (1800-1873) Georg Hellmesberger, Sr. was an Austrian violinist, conductor, and composer. He was born in Vienna. His first music lesson was by his father. He went to school at the Cistercian Heiligenkreuz ...more

35 Georg Tintner Dec. at 82 (1917-1999) Georg Tintner, CM was an Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Although best known as a conductor, he was also a composer. As a child he was ...more

36 Gert Hofbauer age 81 Gert Hofbauer is an Austrian conductor and trumpeter. Born in Knittelfeld, Hofbauer studied the trumpet in Graz in 1958 and in 1960 at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in ...more

37 Gottfried von Preyer Dec. at 94 (1807-1901) Gottfried von Preyer was an Austrian composer, conductor and teacher. Preyer studied with Simon Sechter from 1828 to 1834. He became professor of harmony and composition at the Vienna ...more

38 Günter Neuhold age 70 Günter Neuhold is an Austrian conductor. He attended the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz and graduated in 1968 with a master's degree. He later studied ...more

39 Gustav Kuhn age 71

40 Gustav Mahler Dec. at 51 (1860-1911) Gustav Mahler was an Austrian late-Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and ...more

41 Hans Graf age 69 Hans Graf is an Austrian conductor. As a child, Graf learned the violin and the piano. He studied at the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria, and graduated with diplomas in piano and conducting. He ...more

42 Hans Richter Dec. at 73 (1843-1916) Hans Richter was an Austrian–Hungarian orchestral and operatic conductor.

43 Hans Rosbaud Dec. at 67 (1895-1962) Hans Rosbaud, was an Austrian conductor, particularly associated with the music of the twentieth century. Hans Rosbaud was born in Graz, Austria. As children, Hans and his brother Paul Rosbaud ...more

44 Hans Swarowsky Dec. at 76 (1899-1975) Hans Swarowsky was an Austrian conductor of Hungarian birth and Jewish descent. Swarowsky was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied the art of conducting under Felix Weingartner and Richard ...more

45 Heinrich Proch Dec. at 69 (1809-1878) Heinrich Proch was an Austrian composer. Proch studied jurisprudence and completed his training as a violinist in Vienna. From 1834 to 1867, he was a member of the Vienna Hofkapelle. He was also ...more

46 Heinrich Schiff age 66 Heinrich Schiff is an Austrian cellist and conductor. He studied cello with Tobias Kühne and André Navarra and made his solo debut in Vienna and London in 1971. He studied conducting ...more

47 Herbert von Karajan Dec. at 81 (1908-1989) Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, ...more

48 Hugo Riesenfeld Dec. at 60 (1879-1939) Hugo Riesenfeld was a Jewish Austrian-American composer. As a film director, he began to write his own orchestral compositions for silent films in 1917, and co-created modern production ...more

49 Ignaz Vitzthumb Dec. at 92 (1724-1816) Ignaz or Ignace Vitzthumb was an Austrian musician, composer and conductor active in the Austrian Netherlands. He was also music director of the La Monnaie theatre in Brussels.

50 Ignaz von Seyfried Dec. at 65 (1776-1841) Ignaz Joseph Ritter von Seyfried was an Austrian musician, conductor and composer. He was born and died in Vienna. According to a statement in his handwritten memoirs he was a pupil of both ...more