Efrem Kurtz

Efrem Kurtz (; November 7, 1900 – June 27, 1995) was a Russian conductor.

Life and career Kurtz was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Kurtz made his conducting debut in Berlin in 1921 while a student at the Stern Conservatory when he substituted for an ill Nikisch to accompany the dancer Isadora Duncan on tour.

Kurtz later moved to the United States, and became a citizen of that country in 1944. He held the same post with the Houston Symphony from 1948 to 1954,

From 1955 to 1957, Kurtz was music director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic jointly with John Pritchard. The two remained married until her death, of lung cancer at the age of 47, in 1973. After her death, Kurtz married Mary Lynch, who survived him. He died in London, aged 94.

Recordings His recorded repertoire included works by among others Dmitri Shostakovich (early recordings, though not premieres, of several of the symphonies and the Age of Gold ballet suite), Ernest Bloch (one of whose last works, Two Last Poems (Maybe...) was dedicated to Elaine Shaffer), Heitor Villa-Lobos (his Uirapuru). Many of these recordings were made in the 1940s and 1950s with the Philharmonia in London. He recorded primarily for Columbia Records and EMI.