Albert Bernhard van Raalte (21 May 1890, Amsterdam – 23 November 1952) was a Dutch conductor, the son of Izak van Raalte and Carolina van Engel. He began music studies at age 7, from such teachers as Herman Meerlo and Arnold Drilsma (both violin), and J.W. Kersbergen (piano). From 1906 to 1909, van Raalte studied at the

Hochschule für Musik Köln ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...

, where his teachers included

Fritz Steinbach Fritz Steinbach (17 June 1855 – 13 August 1916) was a German conductor and composer who was particularly associated with the works of Johannes Brahms. Born in Grünsfeld, he was the brother of conductor Emil Steinbach. He studied at the L ...

(conducting),

Bram Eldering Abraham "Bram" Eldering (8 July 1865 – 17 June 1943) was a Dutch violinist and music pedagogue. Life Born in Groningen, Bram (abbreviation of ''Abraham'') Eldering studied violin with Jenő Hubay at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Aft ...

(

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

Lazzaro Uzielli Lazzaro Uzielli (4 February 1861 − 8 October 1943) was an Italian pianist and music educator. Life Born in Florence, Uzielli studied in his home town with Luigi Vannuccini und Giuseppe Buonamici, then with Ernst Rudorff in Berlin, and with ...

(piano), and Waldemar von Baussern (

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howev ...

and counterpoint). He later pursued further studies in music theory with

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Leipzig University Church, as a professor a ...

and in conducting with

Bruno Walter Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor, pianist and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French citizen in 1938, and settled in the U ...

and

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Second Piano Concerto ...

. His conducting career began with a 1909 concert at the ''Musikalische Gesellschaft'' in Cologne. In 1911–1912, he was a

répétiteur A (from the French verb meaning 'to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse') is an accompanist, tutor or coach of ballet dancers or opera singers. A feminine form, , also appears but is comparatively rare. Opera In opera, a is the person ...

La Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (french: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, italic=no, ; nl, Koninklijke Muntschouwburg, italic=no; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National O ...

(Brussels). He worked as an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

conductor in Germany and the Netherlands from 1912 until the outbreak of World War II. From 1928 to 1940, van Raalte conducted concerts on Dutch radio ( AVRO), until his dismissal during World War II. After the war, from 1945 to 1949, he served as the first principal conductor of the

Radio Filharmonisch Orkest The Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (''Radio Philharmonic Orchestra''; Dutch abbreviation RFO) is a Dutch radio orchestra, based in Hilversum. The RFO performs under the aegis of the ''Muziekcentrum van de Omroep'' (Broadcasting Music Centre; NMBC), an ...

. He also undertook guest conducting opportunities, such as with the Scottish ationalOrchestra. Van Raalte married Helena Wilhelmina Sophia Horneman on 23 July 1918. The couple had one son.

References

External links

Biography of Albert van Raalte from the Huygens Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis
1890 births 1952 deaths Dutch conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Musicians from Amsterdam 20th-century conductors (music) Répétiteurs 20th-century Dutch male musicians {{netherlands-conductor-stub