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Sir Georg Solti, KBE ( Pronounced ) ( 21 October , 1912 - 5 September , 1997 ) was a world-renowned Hungarian -born British orchestral and operatic Conductor , who was still actively engaged in performing right up until his death. Solti was born György Stern {Link without Title} in Budapest , where he learned the Piano and studied at the Franz Liszt Academy Of Music . His father Germanized young György's given name to Georg and changed his family name to Solti, to shield his son from anti-semitism. By 1935, he was gaining recognition as a conductor, and made his debut at the Budapest Opera in 1938 with '' The Marriage Of Figaro ''. In 1939, with German invasion imminent, he fled Hungary because of his Jewish ancestry, and moved to neutral Switzerland , where he continued his career. After the war, Solti was Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and Frankfurt Oper . In 1951 , he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival conducting Mozart 's '' Idomeneo ''. In 1961 , Solti was engaged to conduct at the Royal Opera House , Covent Garden , where he was music director until 1971, and thereafter spent much of his time in Britain and the United States . He married a British Television Presenter , Valerie Pitts , whom he met when she was sent to interview him. In 1972, he was naturalised as a United Kingdom citizen (and hence also a British subject). He had been awarded an honorary KBE (knighthood) in 1971, and was known as Sir Georg Solti after his naturalisation. Solti was music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1969 until 1992 , when he was made the first and only Music Director Laureate in that orchestra's history. He was music director of the Orchestre De Paris from 1972 until 1975. From 1979 until 1983, he was principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra . Solti was as enthusiastic making music in the recording studio as in the opera house or concert hall. He developed a long and productive partnership with the legendary producer John Culshaw at Decca . Products of this partnership included the first ever complete studio recording of Wagner 's '' Der Ring Des Nibelungen '' with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra . No less distinguished and equally groundbreaking were his studio recordings of the operas of Richard Strauss , which like his Wagner have been remastered and released on CD where they are still praised for their musicianship and expert production values. His performances and recordings of works by Verdi , Mahler and Bartók were also widely admired. With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra , the London Philharmonic Orchestra , and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra he recorded an extensive symphonic repertoire including the complete symphonies of Beethoven , Brahms , Bruckner , Elgar , Schumann , and Mahler . He continued to add new works to his repertoire in the latter days of his career, voicing particular enthusiasm for the music of Shostakovich , whom he admitted he failed to appreciate fully during the composer's lifetime. Solti never truly retired, and his sudden death in 1997 meant several years of planned performances and recording projects would never be realized. All told, he won thirty-eight Grammy awards, more than any other artist in any category. The City of Chicago renamed the block of East Adams Street adjacent to Symphony Center as "Sir Georg Solti Place" in his memory. AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS Grammy Award For Best Chamber Music Performance :
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