Dimitri Mitropoulos

Dimitri Mitropoulos was born on February 18th 1896 in Athens and was educated in the priesthood before deciding on a career in music. He studied at the Conservatory in Athens and in Berlin with Busoni from 1921 to 1924. Mitropoulos worked at the Berlin State Opera from 1921 to 1925 and was the conductor of the Odeon Conservatory Orchestra in Athens from 1924 to 1929. From 1932 to 1936 he was conductor of the Paris Symphony Orchestra and made his U.S. conducting debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1936. His visits to Minneapolis were so succesful that he became conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1937, holding the post until 1949.

1949 to 1958 saw Mitropoulos' most successful period as conductor of the New York Philharmonic, succeeding Artur Rodzinski. He made his New York Met and Salzburg Festival debuts in 1954.

Mitropoulos was an accomplished pianist and often conducted from the piano. He composed a number of musical works including an opera, a concerto grosso, chamber and instrumental music and songs. Mitropoulos had a vibrant personality both on and off the podium and was a significant influence on Leonard Bernstein. Mitropoulos identified with Mahler especially during his New York Philharmonic tenure which Bernstein echoed and built upon.

Mitropoulos died of a heart attack in Milan in 1960 while rehearsing Mahler's 3rd Symphony.

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