Walter Weller

Walter Weller's grave

Walter Weller (born November 30, 1939 in Vienna ; † June 14, 2015 there ) was an Austrian violinist and conductor .

Life

Walter Weller was concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic and the State Opera Orchestra from 1961 to 1972 . In 1966, after studying conducting with Josef Krips (1902–1974), he made his debut as a conductor. From 1971/72 Weller became general music director of the Duisburg Symphony Orchestra , from 1975 to 1978 chief conductor of the Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstlerorchester and from 1977 to 1980 of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra , which appointed him guest conductor of honor for life after his contract expired. From 1980 to 1986 he was head of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, then until 1991 he was chief guest conductor of the Orquesta Nacional de España. From 1992 to 1997 he was musical director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra , from 1994 music director of the Allgemeine Musikgesellschaft in Basel, opera director of the Basel theater and chief conductor of the Basler Sinfonie-Orchester . In 2003 the Stuttgart Philharmonic awarded Walter Weller the title of "Honorary Conductor". From November 2007 to June 2012 he was musical director and chief conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra (ONB), which appointed him honorary musical director.

His grave is on the Döblinger Friedhof (Gr. 6, R. 3, Nr. 2) in Vienna.

Weller Quartet

In 1959 Walter Weller founded a string quartet , the Weller Quartet. After some recordings for Decca Records (today: UMG ), the quartet ended its concert activities in 1971.

Members were:

• Walter Weller, 1st violin
• Alfred Staar, 2nd violin
• Helmut Weiss , viola
• Ludwig Beinl and Robert Scheiwein, violoncello

Awards

• 1998: Great Silver Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria
• Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art

literature

• Alexander Rausch : Walter Weller. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 5, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2006, ISBN 3-7001-3067-8 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ex-RSNO principal Walter Weller dies aged 75
2. ↑ Thank you maestro Weller . In: onb.be , June 22, 2012, accessed on August 25, 2012.
3. ↑ List of all decorations awarded by the Federal President for services to the Republic of Austria from 1952 (PDF; 6.9 MB)
4. ^ Viennese conductor Walter Weller died on ORF June 17, 2015, accessed on June 17, 2015

Web links

• Media from and about Walter Weller in the catalog of the German National Library
• Official homepage ( Memento of October 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
• Entry on Walter Weller in the Austria Forum  (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
• Walter Weller . (CV, photo album, discography). In: music.at , accessed on August 25, 2012.
• Weller Quartet . In: discogs.com , accessed August 25, 2012.
• Walter Weller conducted in the Arkadenhof: A highlight of the summer season . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna August 13, 1970, p. 8 , middle left ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
• Wilhelm Kempff and Beethoven: strict and delicate paired . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna December 18, 1970, p. 12 , top left ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized). (The Vienna Symphony under Weller).
• The baton from the violin case . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 1st 1974, p. 6 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).