Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian conductor born on April 5, 1908, in Salzburg, Austria, and he passed away on July 16, 1989, in Anif, near Salzburg. A child prodigy on the piano, he studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and made his professional conducting debut in 1929 in Salzburg. He held a conducting position in Ulm, Germany, from 1929 until 1934, then became Kapellmeister at Aachen until 1941. During World War II, he conducted at the Berlin State Opera and fled to Italy in 1944.
Karajan was a member of the Nazi Party from 1933 to 1942 but was exonerated by an Allied tribunal after the war. Despite public protests, he made his American debut in 1955. He became music director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1955, a position he held until 1989, despite disputes leading to his resignation shortly before his death. He was also principal conductor for the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival, and he founded the Salzburg Easter Festival in 1967.
Karajan's interpretations were known for their precision, and he was a dominant figure in classical music, partly due to his extensive recordings, selling an estimated 200 million records. He received Grammy Awards in 1964, 1969, and 1978. His conducting style evolved from precision and objectivity to a more personal approach in the later years of his career.
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