Julius Rudel facts for kids

Julius Rudel (born March 6, 1921 – died June 26, 2014) was a famous American conductor. He was born in Vienna, Austria. When he was 17, in 1938, he moved to the United States. This was after Germany took over Austria.

He studied conducting at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. After finishing his music studies, he joined the New York City Opera. He passed away on June 26, 2014, when he was 93 years old.

Julius Rudel's Career in Music

Leading the New York City Opera

After 1944, Julius Rudel began a 35-year career with the New York City Opera. He worked there until 1979. In 1957, he became the main conductor and general director. He made the company famous around the world.

He did this by creating new and exciting shows. For example, for three years (1958, 1959, and 1960), he featured only American operas. He also worked closely with Beverly Sills, who became a very important singer for the New York City Opera.

Rudel helped the company move to its new home. This was the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. The first show there was in February 1966. It was Don Rodrigo by Alberto Ginastera. For this show, Rudel chose a young, unknown singer named Plácido Domingo, who was only 25 years old.

Conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

In 1979, Rudel became the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. He took over from Michael Tilson Thomas. He led this orchestra until the 1985 season.

Other Important Roles

Julius Rudel conducted many major orchestras and operas worldwide. From 1958 to 1963, he often conducted for the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company. He was also the artistic director for part of that time.

In 1978, he conducted for the first time at the famous Metropolitan Opera. His first performance there was Werther. He also won a special award called a Grammy Award for his work.

He was the first Music Director for both Washington's Kennedy Center and the Wolf Trap Opera Company. From 1962 to 1976, he was also the Music Director of the Caramoor Festival.

In 2009, the US National Endowment for the Arts honored him. They recognized his many important contributions to opera. He passed away in Manhattan on June 26, 2014.

Recordings by Julius Rudel

Julius Rudel made many recordings during his career. These include both audio and video recordings of famous operas. Some of his notable audio recordings include:

• Handel's Giulio Cesare (1967)
• Massenet's Manon (1970)
• Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann (1972)
• Verdi's Rigoletto (1978)

His video recordings include:

• Donizetti's Roberto Devereux (1975)
• Verdi's La traviata (1976)
• Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila (1981)

See also

• Massenet: Cendrillon (Julius Rudel recording)
• Christmas with Flicka (television movie)