Franz Konwitschny

German Conductor and Violinist

Franz Konwitschny was a distinguished German conductor and violinist, born on August 14, 1901, in Fulnek, Moravia, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now in the Czech Republic. He became an influential figure in the classical music world during the mid-20th century. Konwitschny's career was primarily rooted in the German tradition, and he served as the General Music Director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1949 until his death in 1962. His tenure there solidified his reputation as a masterful interpreter of the works of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, and other Romantic composers.