Georges PrĂȘtre
Sound
Georges PrĂȘtre was a French orchestral and opera conductor. PrĂȘtre attended the Douai Conservatory and then studied harmony under Maurice DuruflĂ© and conducting under AndrĂ© Cluytens among others at the Conservatoire de Paris. Amongst his early musical interests were jazz and trumpet. After graduating, he conducted in a number of small French opera houses sometimes under the pseudonym Georges Dherain. His conducting debut was at the OpĂ©ra de Marseille in 1946. He also conducted at the opera houses in Lille and Toulouse. His Paris debut was at the OpĂ©ra-Comique in Richard Strauss's Capriccio. He was director of the OpĂ©ra-Comique 1955â1959. He conducted at the Lyric Opera of Chicago 1959â1971. He was conductor, 1959, and music director 1970â1971, at the Paris OpĂ©ra. He was principal conductor of the Vienna Symphony 1986â1991
