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Takemitsu, Toru

(Encyclopedia)Takemitsu, Toru tōˈro͞o täkāˈmĭtso͞o [key], 1930–96, Japanese composer, b. Tokyo. Largely self-taught and particularly influenced by Debussy and Cage, Takemitsu successfully combined serial ...

Philadelphia Orchestra

(Encyclopedia)Philadelphia Orchestra, founded 1900 by Fritz Scheel, who was its conductor until his death in 1907. Scheel was followed by Karl Pohlig (1907–12). Under the leadership (1912–38) of Leopold Stokows...

Koussevitzky, Serge

(Encyclopedia)Koussevitzky, Serge (Sergei Aleksandrovich Koussevitzky) sĕrzh ko͞osəvĭtˈskē; Rus. syĭrgāˈ əlyĭksänˈdrəvĭch ko͝osyĭvētˈskē [key], 1874–1951, Russian-American conductor, studied i...

Eschenbach, Christoph

(Encyclopedia)Eschenbach, Christoph, 1940–, German conductor and pianist, b. Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland), as Christoph Ringmann. Orphaned during World War II, he was adopted by Wallydore Eschenbach, h...

Varèse, Edgard

(Encyclopedia)Varèse, Edgard värĕzˈ [key], 1883–1965, French-American composer. In Paris he first studied mathematics and science but became more interested in music. He then studied composition with Roussel ...

Gardiner, Sir John Eliot

(Encyclopedia)Gardiner, Sir John Eliot, 1943–, English conductor, studied King's College, Cambridge, and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Known particularly for performances of baroque music on period instruments, ...

Stravinsky, Igor Fedorovich

(Encyclopedia)Stravinsky, Igor Fedorovich ēˈgər fyôˈdərôˌvyĭch strəvĭnˈskē [key], 1882–1971, Russian-American composer. Considered by many the greatest and most versatile composer of the 20th cent., ...

Muti, Riccardo

(Encyclopedia)Muti, Riccardo rēk-kärˈdō mo͞oˈtē [key], 1941–, Italian conductor. Principal conductor of the Maggio Musicale (1969–81) in Florence and of the Philharmonia Orchestra (1973–82) in London, ...

Laurent, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Laurent, Robert rōbârˈ lôrĕntˈ [key], 1890–1970, American sculptor, b. France. He emigrated to the United States in 1902 and later studied in Rome. Progressing from early decorative works, he ...

Maderna, Bruno

(Encyclopedia)Maderna, Bruno bro͞oˈnō mädĕrˈnä [key], 1920–73, Italian composer and conductor, b. Venice. Maderna studied composing with Gian Francesco Malipiero and conducting with Hermann Scherchen. As a...