Herbert von Karajan
A Short Biography


1908 Born 5th April in Salzburg

1912 Started taking piano lessons from Franz Ledwinka

1913 First performance before an audience at a charity concert

1916-26 Studied at the Mozarteum Conservatory in Salzburg

1917 First public appearance as a pianist at the Mozarteum.

1926-28 Student at the Vienna Technical University

1926-29 Studied at the Vienna School of Music and Performing Arts and graduated as a conductor

1928 Conducted overture to Rossini's William Tell in Vienna

1929 First public appearance as a conductor in Salzburg

1929-34 Appointed as conductor at the Stadttheater, Ulm

1933 First appearance at the Salzburg Festival

1935 Appointed general music director of Aachen Stadttheater

1937 Conducted at the Vienna State Opera for the first time

1938 Married Elmy Holgerloef, leading operetta singer at the Aachen opera house
Also conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time

1939 Appointed conductor at the Berlin State Opera

1942 Married Anita Gütermann

1946 First post-war concert with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in Vienna

1947 First collaboration with the Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna

1948-60 Close collaboration with Philharmonia Orchestra in London

1948 Artistic Director of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna

1948-49 Participated in Salzburg Festivals

1951-52 Conducted at the Bayreuth Festival

1955 Appointed principal conductor for life of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
27th February - 1st April First B.P.O. American Tour
23rd October - 19th November Philharmonia Orchestra American Tour

1956 7th October - 19th November Second B.P.O. American Tour

1957-64 Artistic Director of the Vienna State Opera

1957 First tour of Japan by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

1957-60 Artistic Director of the Salzburg Festival

1958 Married Eliette Mouret

1959 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's World Tour 19th October - 23rd November

1960 Birth of daughter Isabel

1961 27th October - 8th November Third B.P.O. American Tour

1962 23rd March - 11th April V.P.O. North European Tour

1963 Opening concert for the Philharmonie Concert Hall in Berlin (Beethoven's Ninth Symphony)

1964 Birth of daughter Arabel

1965 Films of concerts and operas, with Karajan acting as conductor and director
19th January - 1st February Fourth B.P.O. American Tour

1967 Founding of Salzburg Easter Festival by Karajan

1968 On his 60th Birthday he is made Honorary Citizen of the City of Salzburg

1969 Establishment of the Research Institute of the Herbert von Karajan Foundation for Experimental Psychology in Music

1973 Founding of the Salzburg Whitsun Concerts by Karajan

1974 2nd - 13th November Fifth B.P.O. American Tour

1976 4th - 16th November Sixth B.P.O. American Tour

1978 Honorary Doctorate (Ph.D) from Salzburg University. Received Honorary Doctorate (D.Mus) from Oxford University

1980 First digital recording in Berlin (Mozart's The Magic Flute)

1981 Presentation of the compact disc digital audio system during the Salzburg Easter Festival

1982 Eliette Von Karajan's début as a painter, exhibiting her pictures on the record sleeves for the "Karajan-Edition" in the new "Galleria" series
19th October - 3rd November Seventh B.P.O. American Tour

1983 The Royal Philharmonic Society, London, honours Herbert von Karajan with its Gold Medal
Salzburg marks his 75th Birthday by creating a special postmark

1984 Tour of Japan with Berlin Philharmonic

1985 Conducted Mozart's Coronation Mass. First time that an orchestra was allowed in the Holy City to participate during a Mass
Received the Honorary Ring of the Salzburg Festival

1986 Festive concert in Berlin to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Wilhelm Furtwängler

1987 Karajan conducts the New Year's Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic (Worldwide television coverage)

1988 Karajan Edition of 100 Masterpieces on 25 CD’s, decorated with paintings by Eliette von Karajan
(DG 423 202-2 to DG 423 226-2)
In October Karajan appears for the last time in London

1989 In February last appearance in the USA with the Vienna Philharmonic
16th July Death of Herbert Von Karajan






The music playing is "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
by Richard Strauss
(Please allow time for the file to download)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra 1959
(Decca 448 042-2)
As used in the 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey"
Please click here for further details.
(believed to be in the Public Domain)


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