André Previn
| André Previn | |
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André Previn (2012)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andreas Ludwig Priwin |
| Born |
April 6, 1929 Berlin, Germany |
| Origin | California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, conductor, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1943–present |
| Labels | Contemporary, EMI, RCA, Decca, Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, Telarc |
| Associated acts | London Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Website | www |
André George Previn, KBE (/ˈprɛvɪn/; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929) is a German-American pianist, conductor, and composer. He is considered one of the most versatile musicians in the world with his notable contributions to classical music, jazz, and opera. Previn is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings (and one more for his Lifetime Achievement).
Previn was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Charlotte (née Epstein) and Jack Previn (Jakob Priwin), who was a lawyer, judge, and music teacher. He is said to be "a distant relative of" the composer Gustav Mahler. However, in a pre-concert public interview at the Lincoln Center, in May 2012, Previn laughed at the suggestion that he is related to Mahler. The year of his birth is uncertain. Whilst most published reports give 1929, Previn himself has stated that 1930 is his birth year.
In 1939, his family, being Jewish, left Nazi Germany and moved to Los Angeles, where his great-uncle, Charles Previn, was music director of Universal Studios. André grew up in Los Angeles and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1943. At Previn's 1946 graduation from Beverly Hills High School he played a musical duet with Richard M. Sherman; Previn played the piano, accompanying Sherman (who played flute). He first came to prominence by arranging and composing Hollywood film scores in 1948. Coincidentally, in 1964, both composers won Oscars for different films, both winning in musical categories.
In 1951 and 1952, while stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco during his military service, Previn took private conducting lessons from Pierre Monteux, which he valued highly.
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