Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
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Frühbeck de Burgos conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2012
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Rafael Frühbeck
15 September 1933 Burgos, Spain
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| Died | 11 June 2014 (aged 80) Pamplona, Spain
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| Occupation | Principal conductor of the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, Spanish National Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra |
| Years active | 1958–2014 |
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (born Rafael Frühbeck; 15 September 1933 – 11 June 2014) was a famous Spanish conductor and composer. He was born in Burgos, Spain, and his family had German roots. Rafael started conducting when he was in the Spanish Army. Later, he studied music in Munich, Germany. He became the main conductor for many orchestras around the world, like the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra and the Spanish National Orchestra. Throughout his career, he made many recordings of music. He was also part of an important art and history academy. He won awards, including "Conductor of the Year" in 2011.
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Early Life and Music Beginnings
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was born in Burgos, Spain. His family had German roots. His father moved to Spain for work after World War I, and his mother joined him there.
Rafael's mother taught him the violin. By the time he was 14, he was the lead violinist (concertmaster) in his local orchestra! He also studied piano and composition at music schools in Bilbao and Madrid. He first started conducting while serving in the Spanish Army. He later graduated with top honors from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, where he won the Richard Strauss Prize for conducting.
A Career Leading Orchestras
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was the main conductor of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra from 1958 to 1962. During this time, the orchestra's manager suggested he add "de Burgos" to his name. This helped show his Spanish identity and honored his hometown. He then became the main conductor of the Spanish National Orchestra from 1962 to 1978.
Outside of Spain, Frühbeck de Burgos led many other famous orchestras. He was the music director for the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. He also worked with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Symphony. He was a special guest conductor for orchestras in Europe, Japan, and the United States. He first performed in America with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1969. From 1980 to 1983, he was the main conductor for the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo.
From 2001 to 2007, Frühbeck de Burgos was the main conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Italy. He also led the Dresden Philharmonic in Germany from 2004 to 2011. In 2011, he became the Creative Director for the Masterworks Series of concerts with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the United States. He held this role for two seasons.
Later Years and Retirement
In 2011, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra announced that Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos would become their main conductor starting in 2012. He was planned to stay for three years. However, on June 4, 2014, he announced he was stepping down from this role right away. He also shared that he was retiring from conducting because he had cancer. His very last concert was in Washington, D.C., on March 14, 2014, with the National Symphony Orchestra.
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos passed away on June 11, 2014, in Pamplona, Spain. He was buried in his hometown of Burgos. He was survived by his wife, María del Carmen Martínez de Frühbeck, and their two children, Rafael and Gema.
Achievements and Recordings
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos made many recordings with different labels. Some of his famous recordings include Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, the Mozart Requiem, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, and Georges Bizet's Carmen. He was also well-known for recording all the works of Manuel de Falla and a series of complete zarzuela recordings (a type of Spanish musical play).
He also arranged a suite of music from Isaac Albéniz's Suite española and recorded it with the New Philharmonia Orchestra. He helped bring new music to life, like conducting the first performance of Gian Carlo Menotti's opera Goya. He was a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and History Institución Fernán González. In 2011, he received the "Conductor of the Year" award from Musical America.
Images for kids
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Frühbeck de Burgos conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos para niños
