Julius Rudel (6 March 1921 – 26 June 2014) was an Austrian-born American opera and orchestraconductor. He was born in Vienna and was a student at the city's Academy of Music. He emigrated to the United States at the age of 17 in 1938 after the country was annexed by Germany.
He studied conducting at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. After completing his music studies, he joined the New York City Opera. He died on 26 June 2014 at the age of 93.
External audio
You may hear Julius Rudel with Jorge Bolet and the Lewisohn Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York in: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D major K. 385 ("The Hoffner") Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in 1957 Here on wnyc.org
Professional career
New York City Opera
After 1944, he began a 35-year career with that company which continued until 1979. After rising to Principal Conductor and General Director in 1957, he brought the company international acclaim with his innovative programming (including three seasons of all-American operas in 1958, 1959, and 1960), and formed a partnership with Beverly Sills, who became the leading soprano of the NYCO. He led the company to its new home at the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center, where it opened in February 1966 with Alberto Ginastera's Don Rodrigo, in which he cast an unknown 25-year-old tenor, Plácido Domingo.[1]
Rudel conducted major orchestras and operas throughout the world. Between 1958 and 1963 he conducted frequently for the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company, also serving as the company's Artistic Director for part of that time. In 1978, he first conducted at the Metropolitan Opera, making his debut with Werther. He also won a Grammy Award.
Morgan, Brian (2006), Strange Child of Chaos: Norman Treigle iUniverse, 2006. ISBN0-595-38898-1
Rudel, Julius; Rebecca Paller (2013), First and Lasting Impressions: Julius Rudel Looks Back on a Life in Music. University of Rochester Press. ISBN978-1-58046-434-5