• Borne in Dresden 14^th June 1910.
• Studied piano, violin and oboe 1924-1928 at the Orchestra School of the Dresden Staatskapelle.
• In 1928 appointed Principal Oboist of the Gewandhous Orchestra Leipzig.
• Practical experience as oboist and repetiteur in opera and symphonic repertoire under Busch, Walter, Furtwängler, Strauss and Klemperer.
• Conducting career began in Leipzig in 1934 and continued after the war with leading positions in Chemnitz and Weimar.
• 1949 appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Dresden State Opera and Staatskapelle and in 1952 with the Bavarian State Opera Munich.
• Resigned from Dresden 1953, from Munich 1954 to pursue regular engagements with Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, Metropolitan Opera New York, Royal Opera House Covent Gardens, as well as Edinburgh, Salzburg, Munich and Bayreuth Festivals.
• The focus gradually shifted from opera to concert.
• In 1961 appointed Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as successor to Sir Thomas Beecham.
• Similar positions in Zurich (Tonhalle Orchestra, 1965-1972) and Munich (Philharmonic  Orchestra 1967 onwards).
• Took over as Principal Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1975.
• Died Zurich 11^th May 1976.