Karl Muck

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Karl Muck (October 22, 1859 - March 3, 1940) was a German conductor.

Born in Darmstadt, Germany, Muck earned a Ph.D. in classical philolology at Heidelberg. An early love for music led him to take piano lessons. After earning his doctorate, Muck entered the Leipzig Conservatory. He began conducting in 1884 and led orchestras in Zurich, Brno, Salzburg, Graz, and Prague. In 1892 he began conducting the Royal Opera in Berlin, where he remained until 1912. Along the way he also conducted at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth and also worked with the Vienna Philharmonic.

He became music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1912. He was considered a modern, adventurous conductor and was responsible for leading the orchestra in historic recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey, in 1917. However, in 1918, his pro-German sentiments created problems, especially when he refused to conduct the national anthem at a concert during World War I. Through an incredible chain of events, Muck was arrested under the Alien Enemy Act and interred at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia until the end of the war. He left the United States, never to return, and conducted the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Muck made additional recordings and appeared regularly in Bayreuth, where his definitive performances of the music of Richard Wagner set a high standard that was only challenged by the historic appearances of Arturo Toscanini in 1930, the first time a non-German conducting during the festival.

Known for his autocratic but powerful approach to music, Muck died in Stuttgart, Germany.

Preceded by: Max Fiedler	Musical Directors, Boston Symphony Orchestra 1912–1918	Succeeded by: Henri Rabaud
Preceded by: Wilhelm Gericke	Musical Directors, Boston Symphony Orchestra 1906–1908	Succeeded by: Max Fiedler