Ernest Bour

Ernest Bour (April 20, 1913-June 20, 2001) was a French conductor. Born in Thionville, Bour studied at both the University and the Conservatoire of Strasbourg. His conducting teachers included Fritz Münch and Hermann Scherchen.

After serving as chorus master for the radio choruses of Geneva and Strasbourg, he was appointed conductor of the Orchestre de Mulhouse in 1941. In 1950 he became conductor of the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra and in 1955 of the Strasbourg Opera House. He was principal conductor of the SWF Symphony Orchestra in Baden-Baden from 1964 to 1979.

Bour's repertoire was marked by a concentration on contemporary music. World premières he presided over included works by Bussotti, Ferneyhough, Górecki, Ligeti, Rihm, Stockhausen and Xenakis, and he gave the French premières of Hindemith's Symphony "Mathis der Maler" and Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress". His recordings ranged from music of François Couperin [Mellers, Wilfrid, "French Classics on the Gramophone" (January 1957). "Music & Letters", 38 (1): 66-73.] to André Jolivet. [Goldman, Richard F., "Reviews of Records: Jolivet: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. Concerto for Trumpet, Piano and String Orchestra; Andante for String Orchestra" (July 1954). "The Musical Quarterly", 40 (3): 465-466.]

Bour died in Strasbourg, aged 88.

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