Georg Zinger

Georg Singer (1908–1980), conductor, composer and pianist. Born in Prague, Singer studied piano and composition at the Academy of Music (1924–26) and won a piano competition (1925). He made his operatic debut at the New German Theater (1926–30). Singer then went to Hamburg to conduct at the Staatsoper. In 1934 he returned to Prague, where he gave the first radio performance of the concert version of Dvořák's first opera, Alfred. When the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, in 1939 he went to Palestine on the "illegal" immigrant ship Tiger Hill. He was among the founders and conductors of the Palestine Opera, where he served until 1945.

After the establishment of the Israeli Opera in 1947, he became its permanent guest conductor. Singer frequently conducted the Israel Philharmonic, the Israel Radio Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, and the Rubinstein Festival. Since 1947, he has also toured extensively, conducting orchestras and operas in Europe, the United States, and Russia (1956), giving particularly notable performances of works by Czechoslovak and Israeli composers. Among the opera premieres he conducted were Darius Milhaud's King David (1954); Avidom's Alexandra Hasmonean (1959); and Karel Salamon's Oaths. He premiered several Israeli orchestral works, such as Avidom's Symphony No. 4; Ben Haim's To the Chief Musician for orchestra, Symphony No. 2, and The Sweet Psalmist of Israel; Boskovich's Oboe Concerto; and "Rilke Songs" by Gelbrunn.

He is known for his phenomenal ability to read music and conduct every nuance of an orchestral score. His compositions include a Sinfonietta for Orchestra (1950), two suites for orchestra (1957, 1960), a piano concertino (1965), and vocal and keyboard music.