Mitropoulos, << mih TROP uh luhs, >> Dimitri (1896-1960), was a symphony orchestra and opera conductor. He conducted a wide repertory and was particularly successful with works of the 1900’s. He won praise for the passion and sweep of his interpretations.
Mitropoulos was born in Athens, Greece. He received the most important part of his music education in Berlin as a student of Ferruccio Busoni, an Italian composer and pianist. After building a European reputation, Mitropoulos made his United States debut in 1936 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. From 1937 to 1949, he was chief conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. He was the principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1949 to 1958. From 1954 until his death, Mitropoulos was also a conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, where he specialized in operas of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Strauss.
