Previn, Andr� George 1929-
US conductor and composer

Born in Berlin, he emigrated to the USA in 1938 and was naturalized in 1943. He studied music mainly in California and Paris and became musical director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra (1967-69), of the London Symphony Orchestra (1968-79), of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1976-86), of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1985-87), and of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (1986-88). Since 1988 he has been a busy freelance conductor and chamber-music pianist. He was appointed conductor laureate of the London Symphony Orchestra in 1992. The composer of musicals, film scores and orchestral works, including a cello concerto (1967) and a guitar concerto (1971), he has achieved popular success through his work, on television and in the concert hall, bringing classical music to the attention of a wider public. He has written Music Face to Face (1971) and No Minor Chords (1992).

Bibliography: Martin Bookspan, Andr� Previn: a biography (1981)