Ferdinand Leitner (4 March 1912 in Berlin – 3 June 1996 in Zürich) was a German conductor. Leitner studied under Franz Schreker, Julius Prüwer, Artur Schnabel and Karl Muck.External audio icon You may hear Ferdinand Leitner conducting Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 with Wilhelm Kempff and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1962 Here on archive.orgHe also was a composition student with Robert Kahn. Starting as a pianist, through the help of Fritz Busch, he became a conductor in the 1930s. He was conductor of the Nollendorfplatz Theater in Berlin from 1943 to 1945; in Hanover from 1945 to 1946; in Munich from 1946 to 1947; and the General Music Director of the Württemberg State Opera house (German "Staatstheater Stuttgart") in Stuttgart from 1947 until 1969. To honour him, the city of Stuttgart has named a pedestrian bridge, that connects the Upper part (where the Staatstheater is located) and the Central part of the "Schlossgarten" (castle) park, after him (Ferdinand-Leitner-Steg).

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