Dimitri Mitropoulos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dimitri Mitropoulos
Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος |
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Mitropoulos in early 1944
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| Born |
Dimitris Mitropoulos
18 February 1896 |
| Died | 2 November 1960 (aged 64) Milan, Italy
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| Resting place | First Cemetery of Athens |
| Occupation | Conductor, pianist, composer |
| Known for | Conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera |
Dimitri Mitropoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος; 18 February 1896 – 2 November 1960) was a very talented Greek and American musician. He was famous as a conductor, a pianist, and a composer. He was known for his amazing memory and for leading some of the world's best orchestras.
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Life and Career
Dimitri Mitropoulos was born in Athens, Greece. His father owned a shop. From a young age, Dimitri showed a great talent for music. When he was a teenager, he would host music gatherings at his home every Saturday. He even wrote an opera called Soeur Béatrice when he was young.
He studied music in Athens, Brussels, and Berlin. One of his teachers was the famous musician Ferruccio Busoni. From 1921 to 1925, he worked at the Berlin State Opera. Later, he took on several music jobs in Greece.
In 1930, something special happened at a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic. The pianist who was supposed to play a solo part got sick. So, Mitropoulos stepped in! He played the piano solo for Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 and conducted the orchestra at the same time. This was very unusual and showed his incredible skill.
Moving to the United States
Mitropoulos first performed in the U.S. in 1936 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He liked the country so much that he decided to live there. He became an American citizen in 1946.
From 1937 to 1949, he was the main conductor for the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra is now known as the Minnesota Orchestra.
Leading the New York Philharmonic
In 1949, Mitropoulos started working with the famous New York Philharmonic. He first shared the conducting role with Leopold Stokowski. Then, in 1951, he became the only music director.
Mitropoulos made many recordings with the Philharmonic. He also tried to bring classical music to more people. He did this by appearing on television and conducting concerts at the Roxy Theatre, which was a popular movie theater. He also helped the Philharmonic play new kinds of music. He asked new composers to write pieces and helped make the symphonies of Gustav Mahler more popular.
In 1955, the Philharmonic performed under Mitropoulos at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Greece. This was a big event for the first Athens Festival. In 1958, another famous conductor, Leonard Bernstein, took over from Mitropoulos.
Work in Opera
Besides leading orchestras, Mitropoulos also conducted many operas. Operas are plays where the story is told mostly through singing. From 1954 until he passed away in 1960, he was a very important conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
He was known for his exciting and clear performances of operas by composers like Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Richard Strauss. Many of his opera performances were recorded and can still be heard today.
Mitropoulos also helped new music be heard. He conducted the first American performances of some important works. These included Dmitri Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony and his First Violin Concerto. He also led the very first performances of works like Samuel Barber's opera Vanessa.
Personal Life
Mitropoulos was known for his amazing memory. He could conduct entire concerts without needing to look at a music score. He remembered every note! He also lived a very simple life because of his strong Greek Orthodox religious beliefs.
Dimitri Mitropoulos passed away in Milan, Italy, when he was 64 years old. He died from heart failure while rehearsing a symphony by Mahler at the La Scala Opera House. He was working on music right up until the end of his life.
Resources
- University of Pennsylvania Libraries - Finding aid to the Oliver Daniel research collection on Dimitri Mitropoulos
- Dimitri Mitropoulos (Stanford University)
- Dimitri Mitropoulos (University of Athens)
