Biography

Who was Georg Solti’s first wife Hedwig Oeschli?

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Georg Solti was a Hungarian-British pianist and conductor who won plaudits for his performances in opera houses, concert halls, and recording studios. When he was born on October 21, 1912, in Budapest, Hungary, he went by the name György Stern. His father, Móricz “Mor” Stern, was a self-employed businessman, while his mother, Terez, was from a musical family. He was Lilly’s brother.

After the First World War, Hungarians were forced to give up their Germanic surnames in favour of more Hungarian ones. His father gave his children the surname “Solti,” but he preserved his own last name. His mother encouraged both her daughter and son to sing and play the piano because she had a musical background.

The Hungarian State Opera hired Georg Solti as a répétiteur not long after he received his diploma in 1930. In Karlsruhe, Germany, he started working as Josef Krips’ assistant in 1932. But he returned to Budapest when it appeared that the Nazis would soon come to power. In 1937, he assisted Arturo Toscanini at the Salzburg Festival in Italy. In March 1938, he got the chance to direct his first opera, “The Marriage of Figaro.”

When anti-Semitic laws were implemented prohibiting Jews from working in certain professions, he fled Hungary for London. At Covent Garden, he conducted the London Philharmonic, a British symphony orchestra, for a season of Russian ballet. During this time, he changed his name from György to Georg.

Who was Georg Solti’s first wife Hedwig Oeschli?

Georg Solti’s first wife was Hedwig Oeschli. Their union lasted from 1946 till 1966. On the internet, there isn’t much information available on Hedwig Oeschli.