Kaufmann, Ludwig

Conductor

Born: 14.10.1907 in Brod (Austria), today Slavonski Brod

died: 01.02.1980 in Wiesbaden

After his training in Vienna, where he attended Clemens Krauss' conducting class together with Herbert von Karajan, Kaufmann found his first engagement as conductor at the opera in Graz in 1928. Five years later, he moved to the Deutsche Oper Breslau, where he met Richard Strauss. In 1938, he became general music director at the Cottbus Municipal Theater. During the war, he was opera director of the Royal Opera in Antwerp for two years. Kaufmann then worked as General Music Director at the Stadttheater Plauen before being appointed Musical Director and Opera Director at the Staatstheater Wiesbaden in 1948.

Here he was initially responsible for the entire reconstruction of opera life, the orchestra and the artistic staff. He became music director in 1957 and held this position until 1977. From 1952, he also went on tour with the "Wiesbaden Chamber Trio" for six weeks every year. Guest conducting engagements took him to various major European cities. However, his particular love was for the operas of Mozart and Richard Strauss.

He worked as a lecturer at the Wiesbaden Adult Education Center and the Wiesbaden Conservatory. In 1968, he was appointed professor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

His countless lectures and theater matinees ("Musical Rarities", "Composer Portraits"), which he held for the Society of Friends of the Wiesbaden State Theater, were particularly popular with audiences. Kaufmann was an honorary member of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden.