Gustav Meier, Swiss-born American conductor, Died at 86

  Music

Gustav Meier was born in 1929, and died in 2016.

He was a Swiss-born conductor and director of the Orchestra Conducting Program at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Meier was also Music Director of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, for more than 40 years (1972–2013)

He has earned international acclaim as both an exceptional conductor and a truly gifted teacher.

When had graduated from the Zurich Conservatory, the Swiss-born conductor continued his studies at the Academia Chigiana Siena.

Gustav Meier started his career at the Lucerne Opera, followed by several seasons at the Vienna Chamber Opera and the Zurich Opera.

His opera talents were quickly recognized in Zurich, as he was soon conducting at the New York, Santa Fe, Miami, Minnesota, San Francisco Operas and others.

Gustav Meier was the leader of orchestras around the globe including appearances with the Zurich Tonhalle, São Paulo, China National, Pittsburgh, Colorado and Alabama Symphony Orchestras; New York City, Santa Fe, Miami, San Francisco, Zurich, and Minnesota Opera Companies; and the Budapest and Vienna State Opera Orchestras.

Gustav Meier has served on the faculties of Yale University (1960–1973) where he became the youngest full-time professor in the school’s history, the Eastman School of Music (1973–1976),and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1976–1995).

Some of his students have appeared with every major orchestra and opera company in the United States and abroad

His students includes Yakov Kreizberg (First Prize Stokovsky Competition Winner, Music Director Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Netherlands Philharmonic and Principal Conductor Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra); John Mauceri (Music Director American Symphony Orchestra, Washington Opera, Scottish Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Teatro Regio di Torino and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) Marin Alsop (Music Director Baltimore Symphony and Cabrillo Festival), the first woman to be named music director of a major U.S. orchestra; Alexander Frey (Music Director Rome Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Ensemble, Bohemia Symphony Orchestra, Stern Chamber Orchestra); Carl St. Clair (Music Director Komische Oper Berlin and Pacific Symphony Orchestra); Antonio Pappano (Music Director Royal Opera Covent Garden and Orchestra Nazionale di Santa Cecilia); Rico Saccani (First Prize Karajan Competition Winner and Music Director Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra), and many more.

Before his death, he lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Gustav Meier passed away at 86 yrs old.