Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss was a German composer and conductor born in Munich in 1864. He rose to prominence in the late Romantic era with tone poems such as Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, later achieving international success with operas including Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier. Strauss served as conductor of major orchestras in Berlin and Vienna and remained active through the mid-20th century, composing works that bridged Romanticism and early modernism. His orchestral writing is noted for lush orchestration, psychological depth, and innovative use of the orchestra. Strauss collaborated frequently with librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal and conducted premieres of his own works across Europe and the United States.