Efrem Kurtz

He was born in St. Petersburg in Russia and studied at the conservatoire there under Alexander Glazunov and Nicolai Tcherepnin among others. He later studied in Riga and Berlin.

Kurtz' conducting debut came when he stood in at the last minute for an ill Artur Nikisch to accompany the dancer Isadora Duncan. This led to a number of concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1924 to 1933 he conducted the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 1928, Kurtz was enagaged by Anna Pavlova to accompany her dancing, which he did until her death in 1931. From 1932 to 1942 he was conductor of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, touring with the extensively.

Kurtz later moved to the United States of America, and became a citizen of that country in 1944. He directed the Kansas City Philharmonic from 1943 to 1948 and the Houston Symphony Orchestra from 1948 to 1954. He also conducted a number of film scores, including Jacques Ibert's score for Orson Welles' Macbeth.

From 1955 to 1957, Kurtz was was director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra jointly with John Pritchard. Thereafter he took a number of guest conducting posts, including enegagements with orchestras in Leningrad and Moscow back in his native Russia (which by now was part of the USSR) where he returned for the first time in 1966.

Kurtz was the husband of flautist Elaine Shaffer. He died in London.