Gerhard Samuel

German-American composer and conductor. He was born 1924 and died 25 March 2008 in Seattle, Washington, USA. Gerhard Samuel (1924-2008) was an American conductor and composer who was active as a champion of contemporary music. He studied composition with Howard Hanson at the Eastman School of Music and with Paul Hindemith at Yale. However, he is best known as a conductor, and he lead such important ensembles as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He was also active as a teacher, first at California Institute of the Arts, and then at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory from 1976-1997.