Kurt Masur

Kurt Masur (18 July 1927 19 December 2015) was a German conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Gewandhaus, and also served as music director of the New York Philharmonic.

Biography

Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany (now Brzeg in Poland), and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur was married three times. His first marriage ended in divorce. He and his second wife, Irmgard, had a daughter, Carolin. Irmgard Masur died in 1972 in a car accident in which Masur was severely injured. His marriage to his third wife, the former Tomoko Sakurai, produced a son, Ken-David, a classical singer and conductor.

Masur died at the age of 88 in Greenwich, Connecticut, from complications of Parkinson's disease. He is survived by his third wife and their son, as well as his daughters Angelika and Carolin, his two other sons, Michael and Matthias, and nine grandchildren.

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What you need to know about Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's 2025-'26 season

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 07 Mar 2025
In Masur's mind, it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship ... One of his early jobs in music was helping his father, the esteemed conductor Kurt Masur, prepare the chorus for New York Philharmonic concerts.
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