Previn, André George (1929- )

German-born US pianist, conductor, and composer. He was principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra 1968-79, music director 1985-86 and principal conductor 1985-92 of Britain's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic 1985-89, and music director of the Oslo Philharmonic 2002-06.

After early success as a composer and arranger for film, Previn studied conducting with Pierre Monteux in 1951. His compositions include concertos for piano (1971) and guitar (1984); he has conducted Gershwin and Mozart concertos from the keyboard and recorded many British and US composers' works. He received four Academy Awards for his film arrangements of Broadway scores, an honorary knighthood in 1996, and Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.

He has done much on television and on stage to popularize classical music.

He was active as a concert pianist before making his debut as a conductor with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra in 1962; he conducted the Houston Symphony Orchestra 1967-69 and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 1976-86. At the London Symphony Orchestra he gave many performances of English music, notably the works of Walton and Vaughan Williams. Recordings include symphonies and concertos by Prokofiev, Orff's Carmina Burana, and Strauss's Die Fledermaus with the Vienna Philharmonic. His operatic adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire debuted in 1998. He has been married several times, including to US actor Mia Farrow 1970-79 and to German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, for whom he wrote a violin concerto, 2002-06.