Rafael Kubelík

Bio

Rafael Kubelík (1914–1996) was a Czech-born conductor and composer who became one of the most respected orchestral leaders of the twentieth century. After early successes in Prague and Brno, he served as music director of the Brno Opera (1939–1941) and the Czech Philharmonic (1942–1948) before leaving Czechoslovakia following the 1948 communist coup. He subsequently held principal posts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1950–1953), the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1955–1958), and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (1961–1979). His extensive discography includes benchmark recordings of Mahler, Dvořák, and Janáček, as well as complete opera sets for Deutsche Grammophon and Decca. Kubelík composed throughout his life, producing symphonies, chamber music, and the opera "Veronika." He became a Swiss citizen in 1967 and continued guest-conducting major ensembles until shortly before his death in 1996.