Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur
Kurt Masurwas a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Gewandhaus, and also served as music director of the New York Philharmonic...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth18 July 1927
CountryGermany
thinking doctors age
At the age of 16, something happened with my finger and the doctor told me, you never can be a organist or pianist, so think about what you do with music.
shy musician helping
You know as I started as a shy young conductor, I always wanted to cooperate. To build up the musicians. To help them to be better than without a conductor. And sometimes young talented musicians have to be encouraged.
teacher messages firsts
The message of music was also the first thing what I learned from my first teacher. She was an organist too and she was very devoted to what she played, so she had a respect for every piece and she felt that she is not allowed to add something of her own.
enough young conductor
Young conductors who are confident enough, they very often have success.
play together orchestra
I always imagined that to bring an orchestra to play together is not enough for a conductor.
teacher school two
If every school would hire two more music teachers, we would need two fewer police officers.
stars orchestra disaster
An orchestra full of stars can be a disaster.
church grew impressed instrument love major organ small
And I love the organ because I grew up in a small city, the organ was the major instrument in church which impressed me very strongly.
character mind orchestra
You have to change your mind with every orchestra because every orchestra has a different character.
people shy orchestra
I can go in front of an orchestra. I can go in front of an audience. But if you see me walking through an audience in the reception or through a lot of people, I'm still shy.
I never had the idea to be a conductor.
war opportunity world
Even I had no opportunity to conduct very many concerts after World War II.
new-york new-beginnings people
As I came to New York, it was for me a new beginning. To discover what people are living here. What do they need, what do they expect, what would they like to be the image and the performance of the New York Philharmonic?
light japan play
If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn, they have a wonderful light feeling for that.