Charles Munch
Charles Munch was a French conductor and violinist, born in Strasbourg on September 26, 1891, into an extended Alsatian musical family. His father, Ernst Munch, was an organ professor at the Strasbourg Conservatory, and Hans Munch was his cousin. Charles received his first lessons from his father and also studied with Albert Schweitzer.
He pursued violin studies with Carl Flesch in Berlin and Lucien Capet in Paris. In 1918 he became a French citizen and adopted the French spelling of his surname. The following year, he became a professor of violin at the Strasbourg Conservatory. From 1926 to 1933, he was concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Wilhelm Furtwängler and Bruno Walter.
Munch made his conducting debut in Paris in 1933 and went on to lead several Parisian orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Concert Society of the Paris Conservatory and the Lamoureux Orchestra. He became known for his interpretations of Hector Berlioz and for promoting contemporary French music. Under his direction, works by Arthur Honegger, Jean Roger-Ducasse, Guy Ropartz, Albert Roussel, and Florent Schmitt received premieres. In 1939, he became a professor of conducting at the Paris Conservatory.
On December 27, 1946, Munch made his United States debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He became its chief conductor in 1949 and took charge of the Berkshire Music Festival in 1951. His repertoire included French music, works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner, as well as music by contemporary American composers. During his thirteen years with the orchestra, he led 39 world premieres, 17 American premieres, and performances of more than 150 contemporary works, some written for the orchestra. The ensemble toured Europe, East Asia, and Australia, and made extensive recordings for RCA Victor, as well as radio and television appearances.
In 1963, Munch returned to Paris and became president of the École Normale de Musique while continuing to conduct. In 1967, he co-founded the Orchestre de Paris with Serge Baudo. Munch died of a heart attack in Richmond, Virginia, on November 6, 1968, during a United States tour with the orchestra. His performances were noted for their tonal beauty, sense of musical form and structure, and elegance. He wrote I Am a Conductor (Je suis chef d'orchestre), published in Paris in 1954.