Sixten Ehrling

The Swedish conductor Sixten Ehrling died in New York City on 13 February 2005, aged 86.

Born in Malmö on 3 April 1918, Ehrling studied piano and violin at Stockholm's Royal Academy of Music, and was awarded the Jenny Lind Scholarship in 1939. He worked as a repetiteur at Royal Swedish Opera, and was an assistant to Karl Böhm at Dresden State Opera.

Following some criticism, Ehrling left his job as principal conductor at Royal Swedish Opera, and worked in the USA, conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 10 years from 1963. He later taught conducting at Juilliard, and worked with the Denver Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony. Known for his focus, clarity and perfectionism, he also had a notoriously short fuse, which sometimes lost him contracts.

Information: www.classicalmusicdaily.com/articles/e/s/sixten-ehrling.htm

Posted: 26 February 2005

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