Bruno Walter was one of the great German conductors of the 20th century, and a respected Mahler interpreter. He was also an accomplished pianist, a prolific recording artist, and a composer during the first half of his life. He was born in 1876 to a Jewish family in Berlin. He was interested in music from a young age, and he began attending the Stern Conservatory in Berlin when he was eight years old. There he studied piano with Heinrich Ehrlich, music theory with Ludwig Bussler, and composition with Robert Radecke. At nine, he made his public debut as a pianist. He was inspir...