READ Famous Conductors from Germany

Reference
10k views 178 items

List of notable or famous conductors from Germany, with bios and photos, including the top conductors born in Germany and even some popular conductors who immigrated to Germany. If you're trying to find out the names of famous German 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 Germany is included when available.

List features Richard Strauss, Siegfried Wagner and more.

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

Use this list of renowned German 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. (178 items)
1
Richard Strauss is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 85 (1864-1949)
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his lieder, especially his ...more
2
Richard Wagner is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 70 (1813-1883)
Richard Wagner is a film score composer.
3
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 38 (1809-1847)
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. A grandson of the ...more
4
André Previn is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
age 89
André George Previn, KBE (/ˈprɛvɪn/; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, conductor, and composer. He is considered one of the ...more
5
Siegfried Wagner is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 61 (1869-1930)
Siegfried Wagner was a German composer and conductor, the son of Richard Wagner. He was an opera composer and the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival from 1908 to 1930.
6
Wolfgang Fortner is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 80 (1907-1987)
Wolfgang Fortner was a German composer, composition teacher and conductor.
7
Carl Maria von Weber is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 40 (1786-1826)
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school. Weber's operas Der ...more
8
Erich Kunzel is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 74 (1935-2009)
Erich Kunzel, Jr. was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the Chicago Tribune, he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, ...more
9
Chris Walden is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
age 52
Chris Walden is a German composer, arranger, and conductor living in the U.S. He leads his own jazz big band, the Chris Walden Big Band, based in Los Angeles and was nominated six times for a ...more
10
Paul Hindemith is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 68 (1895-1963)
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher and conductor. Notable compositions include his song cycle Das Marienleben and opera Mathis der Maler.
11
Matthias Pintscher is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
age 48
Matthias Pintscher is a German composer and conductor. As a youth, he studied the violin and conducting.
12
Martin Böttcher is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
age 91
Martin Böttcher is a Film Score Composer.
13
Karl Richter is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 55 (1926-1981)
Karl Richter was a German conductor, choirmaster, organist, and harpsichordist. He was born in Plauen and studied first in Dresden, where he was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor and later in ...more
14
Lukas Foss is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 87 (1922-2009)
Lukas Foss was an American composer, pianist, and conductor.
15
Heinrich Hollreiser is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 93 (1913-2006)
Heinrich Hollreiser was a German conductor. Born in Munich, he attended the State Academy of Music there, and went on to serve as the conductor at the opera houses in Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, ...more
16
Franz Danzi is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Franz Danzi Dec. at 63 (1763-1826)
Franz Ignaz Danzi was a German cellist, composer and conductor, the son of the noted Italian cellist Innocenz Danzi. Born in Schwetzingen, Franz Danzi worked in Mannheim, Munich, Stuttgart and ...more
17
Carl Reinthaler is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Carl Reinthaler Dec. at 74 (1822-1896)
Carl Martin Reinthaler was a German organist, conductor and composer. Alternative spellings include Karl Martin Reinthaler and Carl Martin Rheinthaler.
18
Max Reger is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 43 (1873-1916)
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.
19
Otto Gerdes is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Otto Gerdes Dec. at 69 (1920-1989)
Otto Gerdes was a German conductor and record producer. He studied music at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, including conducting with Hermann Abendroth. He conducted opera in Berlin, ...more
20
Gershon Kingsley is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
age 96
Gershon Kingsley a contemporary German American composer, is a pioneer of electronic music and the Moog synthesizer and founder of the First Moog Quartet, as a partner in the electronic music ...more
21
Thomas Hengelbrock is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Thomas Hengelbrock age 60
Thomas Hengelbrock is a German violinist, musicologist, stage director and conductor. He is the founder and director of the Balthasar-Neumann-Chor and the Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble. Since 2011, ...more
22
Carl Reinecke is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 86 (1824-1910)
Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke was a German composer, conductor, and pianist.
23
Joseph Keilberth is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 60 (1908-1968)
Joseph Keilberth was a German conductor who specialized in opera. He started his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe. In 1940 he became director of the German Philharmonic ...more
24
Alfred Hertz is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
Dec. at 70 (1872-1942)
Alfred Hertz was a German conductor. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany. As a child, he contracted infantile paralysis and walked with a cane after that. In 1898, Hertz met the British composer ...more
25
Bruno Walter is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Famous Conductors from Germany
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