Bernard Haitink was born in Amsterdam and his interest in music was first stimulated when, as a child, he would go to hear concerts given by the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra under Willem Mengelberg. At the age of nine he started to have violin lessons, which he continued at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where he also studied conducting with Felix Hupka. He joined the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra as a violinist but in 1954 and 1955 attended the annual courses for conductors organised by the Netherlands Radio Union, at which he studied with Ferdinand Leitner. This experience led directly to his appointment in 1955 as second conductor with the Union, sharing responsibility for four radio orchestras.
Read more
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Treasures of the Masterclass Media Foundation
With Bernard Haitink, Christine Schäfer and Ema...
