Rudel, Julius

Rudel, Julius,

1921–2014, Austrian-American conductor, b. Vienna, grad. Mannes School of Music (1942). A child prodigy on the violin and piano, he studied at the Vienna Academy of Music. After his father died and Austria was annexed by Germany, he moved with his family to New York City (1938), supporting them with a number of jobs. In 1943 he began working for the New York City Opera as a rehearsal pianist, soon becoming a conductor (1944) and later director (1957–79). He brought innovative and contemporary programming to the company, enlarging its repertory of American operas, and helped to establish the careers of many artists, including Beverly SillsSills, Beverly,
1929–2007, American coloratura soprano, b. Brooklyn, N.Y., as Belle Silverman. Her childhood career as a radio singer (when she was first nicknamed "Bubbles") led to voice studies with Estelle Liebling.
..... Click the link for more information. , who succeeded him as director. He also served as the first music director (1971–75) for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., and as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic (1979–85), and was a frequent guest conductor elsewhere.

Rudel, Julius

(1921– ) orchestra conductor; born in Vienna, Austria. He studied music in Vienna but emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1938, where he entered Mannes School of Music in New York City. He began his long association with the New York City Opera in 1943 as a rehearsal pianist, becoming its general director (1957–79). He began increasingly to guest conduct symphonic orchestras, and when he left the New York City Opera he became the head conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic (1979–85).