Ferenc Fricsay

Ferenc Fricsay (9 August 1914 - 20 February 1963) was a Hungarian conductor.

Fricsay had a meteoric rise to fame, making his first appearance as a conductor at age 15. He became music director of the then newly formed RIAS Symphony Orchestra in Germany in 1949. He was musical director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 1954. He spent much of his time from the 1950s onward in Germany as music director of the Bavarian State Opera (1956–1958) and again in Berlin at the podiums of the RIAS Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. It was during that time, from the 1950s until his death, that he recorded extensively for the Deutsche Grammophon label.

Fricsay gave his last concert on 7 December 1961 in London where he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven's 7th Symphony. He suffered from repeated illnesses throughout his life and finally succumbed to cancer on 20 February 1963 at the age of 48 in Basel.

Fricsay was known for his interpretations of the music of Mozart and Beethoven, as well as that of his teacher Bartók. His 1958 recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony is featured in the movie A Clockwork Orange.

Even today, decades after his death, Fricsay's recordings have a significant cult following among classical music fans.

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Preceded by none	Chief Conductor, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin 1948–1954	Succeeded by Ferenc Fricsay
Preceded by Efrem Kurtz	Music Director, Houston Symphony Orchestra 1954	Succeeded by Leopold Stokowski
Preceded by Rudolf Kempe	General Music Director, Bavarian State Opera 1956–1958	Succeeded by Joseph Keilberth
Preceded by Ferenc Fricsay	Principal Conductor, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin 1959–1963	Succeeded by Lorin Maazel