Hermann Abendroth

Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth (19 January 1883 – 29 May 1956) was a German conductor.

Early life Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, the son of a bookseller. Several other members of the family were artists in diverse disciplines.

After finishing his school studies at the Frankfort Gymnasium, Abendroth traveled to Munich and at the wish of his father undertook the first year of an apprenticeship as a book dealer, but he then switched to studying music at the conservatory of Munich, the Münchner Konservatorium, from 1900 to 1903, studying theory and composition with Ludwig Thuille, piano with Anna Hirtzel-Langenham, and developing his conducting skills working with Felix Mottl.

Initial career

Still an undergraduate, He also became the general music director of Cologne in 1918, and was a professor in 1919. He also was the general music director of Bonn, from 1930 to 1933.

Awards 1935 Commemorative Medal in gold of the Gesellschaft zur Beförderung gemeinnütziger Tätigkeit (Society for the Furtherance of Charitable Activities) of Lübeck (together with Wilhelm Furtwängler) 1937 Commander's Cross of the Order of St. Sava 1944 War Merit Cross, Second Class without swords 1946 Thuringian State: Certificate of appointment for the recognition of outstanding services to the revival of the artistic tradition of Weimar 1949 National Prize of East Germany for Arts and Letters, 2nd class 1952 Member of the Music Section of the German Academy of the Arts 1952 Honorary Member of the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle, Schwerin 1953 Honorary citizen of the city of Weimar (on the occasion of his 70th birthday) 1953 Honorary Senator of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, for his seventieth birthday 1954 Patriotic Order of Merit in Silver (East Germany) 19?? Honorary Member of the Professional Association German professional choir director Postage stamp with his likeness, in 1957, a year after his death

Detail of career

Initial career Munich 1900–1903: Munich Conservatory Münchner Konservatorium 1903–1904: Munich Orchestral Society Münchner Orchesterverein Lübeck 1905–1911: conducting for the Society of the Friends of Music, Vereins der Musikfreunde Lübeck 1907–1911: Kapellmeister of the Theater Lübeck 1910–1911: conducting the Philharmonischen Chor Essen 1911–1914: Municipal Director of Music, städtischer Musikdirektor Cologne 1915–1934: conducting the Gürzenich Orchestra 1915–1925: he was Direktor of the Cologne Conservatory, Kölner Konservatorium 1918: Städtischen Generalmusikdirektor of the city 1919: Professor 1925–1934: Director of Hochschule für Musik Köln, school of music of Cologne Touring 1920: Mahler Festival of Amsterdam 1922: Direktor of Lower Rhenish Music Festival 1924: Łódź (Poland), conducting (October 1924) the Łódź Symphonic Orchestra 1925,1927,1928: USSR, conducting the State Symphony Orchestra 1926–1937: England, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra Bonn 1930–1933: Generalmusikdirektor of city Berlin 1909–1945: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting it in eighty occasions.

Nazi Germany National offices 1933–1945: Director of the Fachschaft Musikerzieher, choir director of the Reichsmusikkammer 1938: Chief conductor at the Hessian State Theatre of Darmstadt 1941: Chief Director of the Rhine-Mainische State Orchestra, at Frankfurt 1943 & 1944: conducting the Bayreuth Festival Leipzig 1934–1945: Kapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig 1934–1945: Professor of the conservatory, Landeskonservatorium der Musik zu Leipzig 1941: Professor of the Musikhochschule

Communist Germany Thuringia 1945–1956: Music director of Weimar 1945–1956: conducting the Staatskapelle 1946: he became a regional Staatsrat curator, of the Liszt Museum of Weimar. Leipzig 1949–1956: conducting the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester East Berlin 1953–1956: conducting the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin Touring 1951: Prague Spring International Music Festival 1951: USSR 1954: USSR, conducting the State Symphony Orchestra