Andre Previn

Andre Previn
Bert Verhoeff for Anefo · CC BY-SA 3.0 nl · source
Name	André Previn
Caption	Previn in 1973
Birth name	Andreas Ludwig Priwin
Birth date	1929-04-06
Birth place	Berlin, Weimar Republic
Death date	2019-02-28
Death place	New York City, United States
Nationality	German-American
Occupation	Conductor, composer, pianist, arranger
Years active	1940s–2019

Andre Previn was a German-American conductor, composer, pianist and arranger whose career spanned jazz, Hollywood film, Broadway, opera and symphonic music. He rose from émigré roots in Berlin to prominence in Los Angeles film studios, winning multiple Academy Awards before establishing international reputations with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Previn's work bridged popular and classical worlds, collaborating with figures across jazz, film and opera.

Early life and education

Previn was born Andreas Ludwig Priwin in Berlin to a family of Jewish background; his father, Jack (Jakob) Priwin, worked in the film industry and his mother, Charlotte, was active in cultural circles. Facing persecution under the Nazi Party, the family emigrated via France and England to the United States in 1939, settling ultimately in Los Angeles. He studied piano with teachers in Los Angeles Conservatory of Music contexts and absorbed repertory from Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninoff while working in studio orchestras. Early influences included conductors and composers such as Artur Rodzinski, Otto Klemperer, Sergei Rachmaninoff and film composers at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros..

Jazz and popular music career

In Los Angeles Previn became a sought-after jazz pianist and arranger, performing with artists and ensembles like Stan Getz, Shelly Manne, Dizzy Gillespie, Django Reinhardt, Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald. He recorded with labels including Capitol Records, Decca Records and Columbia Records and collaborated on projects with Lennie Tristano-era musicians and West Coast jazz figures. His jazz trio recordings and albums with singers such as Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall demonstrated crossover facility, while partnerships with arrangers and producers at Capitol Studios and United Artists Records informed his film scoring and arranging style. Previn also worked with popular-songwriters like Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart on reinterpretations and standards.

Classical conducting and composing

Previn transitioned to concert-hall conducting, serving as music director of the Houston Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and later as principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. He conducted at major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Wiener Musikverein and the Berlin Philharmonie, and worked with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His repertoire ranged from Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Dmitri Shostakovich. Previn composed concert works including violin concertos for Anne-Sophie Mutter and piano works premiered by soloists such as Mitsuko Uchida and Lang Lang. He collaborated with conductors and soloists like Herbert von Karajan, Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Bernstein and Itzhak Perlman and engaged in recordings for labels like Deutsche Grammophon and EMI Classics.

Film and television work

Previn's early career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. established him as a prominent film composer and arranger. He scored and arranged for films such as collaborations with directors like Elia Kazan, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kramer and worked with producers at MGM Studios and 20th Century Fox. He won multiple Academy Awards for his work in film music and was involved with television productions and specials broadcast on networks like NBC and CBS. Previn collaborated with lyricists and screen composers including Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Henry Mancini, Bernard Herrmann and Max Steiner and contributed orchestrations to film musicals and scores presented at ceremonies such as the Academy Awards broadcasts.

Personal life and relationships

Previn's personal life included high-profile marriages and relationships with figures from classical and popular music and the arts. He was married to actresses and musicians linked to circles including Doris Day-era Hollywood, and had relationships with instrumentalists and singers active in New York City and Los Angeles. His friendships and collaborations included artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Claudio Abbado, Christoph von Dohnányi and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Previn taught, mentored and influenced performers and students connected to institutions like the Royal Academy of Music, the Juilliard School and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Awards and honours

Previn received numerous awards and honours including multiple Academy Awards, several Grammy Awards, honorary degrees from universities such as Harvard University, Yale University and Oxford University, and state honours from countries including United Kingdom and Germany. He was appointed to positions and received accolades from institutions like the Royal Philharmonic Society, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Kennedy Center and national orders similar to the Order of Merit (United Kingdom) and German cultural prizes. Recording awards came from bodies such as the Grammy Awards and the Bach Prize-style distinctions presented by arts foundations.

Legacy and influence

Previn's legacy spans cross-genre bridges between jazz, Hollywood, Broadway and the classical concert hall. His influence is evident in the careers of younger conductors and soloists, in the programming of orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and in recordings issued by Deutsche Grammophon, EMI Classics and Sony Classical. His arrangements and compositions continue to be performed in festivals and venues including the BBC Proms, the Salzburg Festival, the Tanglewood Music Festival and the Lucerne Festival, and his work is studied in conservatories like the Curtis Institute of Music and the Royal College of Music. Previn's career remains a touchstone for multidisciplinary musical activity, connecting jazz clubs, studio stages, opera houses and symphony halls worldwide.

Category:Conductors Category:Composers Category:Pianists