Horenstein, Jascha (1898–1973)

Russian-born conductor. He went with his family to Germany as a child, and studied with Max Bode in Königsberg, Adolph Busch in Vienna, Austria, and composition with Franz Schreker in Berlin. He was appointed conductor of the Düsseldorf Opera in 1926 and settled in the USA in 1941; he gave the first US performance of Ferruccio Busoni's Doktor Faust there in 1964. Well known for the works of Schubert, Bruckner, and Mahler, he conducted the first performances of Alban Berg's Three Movements for strings (Berlin, 1929) and Altenberg Lieder (Rome, 1953). He conducted Wagner's Parsifal at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, a few weeks before his death.