Martin Turnovský
Turnovský Martin ( born September 29, 1928 in Prague) is a Czech conductor.
Life and work
He studied at the Prague Academy of Music under the direction of former chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Karel Ančerl and later with George Szell. In 1958 he won first prize at the International Conductors Competition in Besançon ( France).
From 1963-1966 he was chief conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra Pilsen, after which he was for two seasons principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden and music director at the Dresden State Opera ( 1966-1968 ). In the years 1960-1968 he was also a frequent guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic and permanent conductor of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra.
Martin Turnovský was one of the most famous conductors of Czechoslovakia. In this productive period he made LP recordings with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the Prague Symphony Orchestra, his recording of the Fourth Symphony of Bohuslav Martinů was awarded the Record Prize " Grand Prix du Disque ".
After the invasion by troops of the Warsaw Pact in Czechoslovakia as a result of the Prague Spring in August 1968 Turnovský emigrated to Austria and received Austrian citizenship. After emigrating, he conducted various orchestras and became director of the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo (1975-1980) and musical director of the Opera Bonn ( 1979-83 ). He was, inter alia, involved in opera productions at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Stuttgart, the Royal Opera in Stockholm, the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, the Welsh National Opera.
Turnovský has played, among others, with
- The New York Philharmonic,
- The Cleveland Orchestra,
- The Detroit Symphony Orchestra,
- The London Philharmonic Orchestra,
- The Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio,
- The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande,
- The Vienna Symphony Orchestra,
- The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra,
- The Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
- The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,
- The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra,
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra.
After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, he returned to Prague and was from 1992 to 1996 chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra ( FOK ).