Gerd Albrecht was a major conductor of the late 20th century. He was best known for his interpretations of late Romantic and 20th century German repertory.
Albrecht was born July 19, 1935, in Essen, Germany. His father, Hans Albrecht, was a noted musicologist. Albrecht sang in a choir in his teens and took up conducting at 16. In 1955, he enrolled at the Musikhochschule Hamburg, studying with Hans Brückner-Rüggeberg and also taking classes in musicology, philosophy, and art at Hamburg and Kiel Universities. He gravitated toward conducting after winning prizes in 1957 at the I...