Erich Leinsdorf (originally Landauer) was born in Vienna in 1912 and died in Zurich in 1993. He studied at the Vienna Academy and University. From 1932-4 he was a rehearsal pianist for Weber’s choir. From 1934-7 Leinsdorf acted as assistant conductor to Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini at the Salzburg Festival (his only appearance being as a pianist in Brahms’s Liebeslieder Walzer conducted by Toscanini in 1937). He conducted in Bologna in 1936 and became an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera from 1937. He succeeded Bodanzky as chief conductor of German repertory there from 1939-43. Leinsdorf became an American citizen during this time and served in the U.S. army during World War II. He was the music director at the New York City Opera from 1956-7. He returned to the Met from 1957-62. Leinsdorf was a guest conductor of many of the leading orchestras of the world.

--Adapted from The Oxford Dictionary of Music