Zdzisław Birnbaum

Zdzisław Birnbaum Aleksander ( born February 28, 1878 in Warsaw, † September 27, 1921 in Berlin) was a Polish violinist, composer and conductor of Jewish origin.

Birnbaum studied violin at the Warsaw Conservatory and received after a further training in Königsberg, Berlin, and among other things, Eugène Ysaÿe in Brussels. From 1902 he also worked as a violin virtuoso.

From 1904 he conducted symphony orchestras, among others in Hamburg, Lausanne and Warsaw. He was concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, at the Manhattan Opera in New York City and Hamburg. Among the operas were conducted by him Madama Butterfly, Carmen and Lohengrin. He conducted on 24 July 1916, the premiere of Karol Rostworowskis Opera Night Drive ( wedding) after the play by Stanisław Wyspiański ( Director: Aleksander Zelwerowicz ).

Birnbaum translated libretti from German into Polish as well as Tchaikovsky's opera Mazeppa from Russian into German.

From 1911 to 1914, and from 1916 to 1918 he was Director of the National Philharmonic Warsaw. He suffered until his death in 1921, a long time, and the last years of his life, from mental illness.