Julius Burger
Viennese composer, conductor and pianist Julius Burger was born on 11 March 1897, and studied at the Vienna Academy of Music with Franz Schreker, and also in Berlin with Humperdinck. His music is in a late Romantic style, perhaps reminding the listener of Korngold (his more famous contemporary), Mahler, Schreker and Zemlinsky. He took various accompanying jobs, and was repetiteur and assistant conductor in various places, including at the Met for Arthur Bodanzky.
Burger moved to the USA in 1939 to escape Hitler, and worked in New York for CBS, on Broadway and again at the Met. His own music, which had become rather neglected in favour of his conducting and other work, received some performances at the end of Burger's life, when his cello concerto was performed by Maya Beiser and the Orchestra of St Luke's.
Burger died in New York on 12 June 1995, aged 98.
A selection of articles about Julius Burger
Record Box. Fine Recordings - Orchestral music by Julius Burger, reviewed by Patric Standford