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Conductor

Walter Weller

IN MEMORIA
1939 -2015

Regarded as one of the most legendary conductors of his generation, Walter Weller has captivated audiences worldwide with his visionary but still traditionally rooted interpretations and commanding presence on the podium. His contributions to the art of conducting have solidified his place as an icon in the classical music history.

Walter Weller was born in Vienna and became a member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 17. The following year he founded the Weller Quartet which became internationally famous during its ten-year existence and made many distinguished recordings (nominee of the “Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros”). One of the highlights was the inaugural performance of Shostakovich's 10th Quartet in Austria, an occasion for which Shostakovich specifically travelled to Vienna, personally guiding the quartet through the score. In 1961 Walter Weller became first Konzertmeister under Herbert von Karajan of the Vienna Philharmonic and in 1966 made his debut as a conductor. In 1969 he signed a long-term contract with the Vienna Staatsoper which enabled him to acquire a very extensive operatic repertoire.

From the 2007/08 season, Walter Weller took up the post of Music Director of the Belgium National Orchestra, a tenure that he held until 2012/13. At his last official concert, he was honoured with the medal “Commander in the order of the Crown” by the Belgium Royal House.

Weller was Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra between January 1992 and July 1997 and subsequently became the orchestra's Conductor Emeritus. In 1991 The Queen attended a concert conducted by Walter Weller and endorsed the adoption of ‘Royal’ in the Orchestra’s title. Together they made highly successful tours to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Weller’s credit ran so high with The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, that the Scots put his image on a £50 note.

He was chief conductor of the Tonkünstler Orchester from 1975 to 1978 followed by positions as Artistic Director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic from 1977-1980 and as Principal Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from 1980-1985. He was Artistic Director of the Allgemeine Musikgesellschaft Basel, General Music Director of the Basel Theater and Chief Conductor of the Basel Symphony Orchestra from September 1994 until July 1997.

In 1978, Walter Weller led the conducting class at the Mozarteum at the Salzburg Festival, under the patronage of Herbert von Karajan, where one of his students was Franz Welser-Möst

Mr. Weller had been bestowed the title of Conductor Laureate of the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, held the position of Associate Director of the Orquesta de València and was Honorary Conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

Walter Weller was regularly invited to an impressive list of the most prestigious and internationally acclaimed orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, New York Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala Milano, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, WDR Köln, Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre National Capitole de Tolouse, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Orchestre National de Lyon, Detroit Symphony, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, RSO Berlin, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, among many more, and had a regular relationship with both the Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro Radio Televisión Española, the Dresdner Philharmonie with who he celebrated an acclaimed Japan tour and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

Operatic engagements included “Der Fliegende Holländer” at La Scala, “Ariadne auf Naxos” and “Der Fliegende Holländer” for the English National Opera, a new production of “Der Freischütz” at Teatro Comunale, Bologna, a new production of “Prince Igor” with the Berliner Staatskapelle, “Fidelio” and “Der Rosenkavalier” for the Scottish Opera, a new production of “Cosi Fan Tutte” and “Der Rosenkavalier” with Opera de Monte Carlo and the premiers of “Die Frau ohne Schatten” and “Die Zauberflöte” in Basel.

Over the course of his career, Maestro Weller has collaborated with a wide range of the most renowned soloists, spanning from Mstislav Rostropovich, David Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh, Grigory Sokolov, Henrik Szeryng, Claudio Arrau, Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Janet Baker, Boris Pergamenshchikov, Wolfgang Schneiderhahn, Robert Holl, Wilhelm Kempff, Ida Haendl, Pierre Fournier, Emil Gilels, Heather Harper, Ingrid Bjoner, Shura Cherkassky, Paul Tortelier
to András Schiff, Radu Lupo, Josef Suk, Krystian Zimerman, Kiri te Kanawa, Alfred Brendel, Mauricio Pollini, Maria João Pires, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Truls Mørk, David Geringas, Natalia Gutman, Mischa Maisky, Joaquín Achúcarro, Bruno Leonardo Gelber, John Lill, Gideon Kremer, Nigel Kennedy, Murray Perahia,
and all the way to Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, Maxim Vengerov, Krassimira Stoyanova, Daniel Hope, Julian Rachlin, Boris Berezovsky, Nemanja Radulović, Renaud Capuçon, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Stephen Hough, Alban Gerhard, etc……..

Weller´s extensive discography includes more than 100 recordings with Decca, EMI, Collins Classics and Chandos Records with whom he recorded all the Beethoven Symphonies (including Beethoven Symphony No.10) with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Fuga Libra, with whom he recorded Bohuslav Martinu (Symphony Nr. 4, Le Depart), Josef Suk (“Asrael” Symphony, Return of the dead Victorious), Strauss (Strauss-Burleske, Ein Heldenleben), Glazunow (Symphony Nr.5, Piano-Concerto Nr.1).

On 22 December 1998 Walter Weller was awarded the great Silver Cross of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria which in the past has also been awarded to Josef Krips and Herbert von Karajan. He has also been awarded the Beethoven Society Medal, Austria, the Mozart Interpretation Award, Salzburg and in 1999 a medal from the Cambrigde Biographical Centre for Outstanding People of the 20th Century.

Walter Weller passed away on the 14th of June 2015 due to pancreatic cancer.

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