Post by Tor Erik Nauste Myhre

Herbert von Karajan (born Heribert Adolf Ernst Karajan; (1908 – 1989)) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 34 years. During the Nazi era, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, with the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and during World War II he conducted at the Berlin State Opera. Generally regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, he was a controversial but dominant figure in European classical music from the mid-1950s until his death. One of Karajan's signature skills as a conductor was his ability to extract exquisite sounds from orchestras. Karajan was also a prolific opera conductor, championing the works of Wagner, Verdi, Richard Strauss and Puccini. Karajan is also recognised for his collaboration with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, starting with her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1977. Karajan was an honorary citizen of Salzburg (1968), West Berlin (1973) and Vienna (1978). Since 2005, his legacy has been managed by the “Eliette and Herbert von Karajan Institute”.