André Previn

André George Previn (born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-born American pianist, conductor, and composer renowned for his versatility across classical, jazz, and film music genres. Born in Berlin to a family of Jewish descent, Previn emigrated to the United States in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution, where he quickly established himself as a prodigious talent, beginning piano studies and composing at an early age. His early career in Hollywood involved arranging and scoring films for MGM, earning him four Academy Awards for Best Score, including for Gigi (1958), Porgy and Bess (1959), Irma la Douce (1963), and My Fair Lady (1964). Transitioning to classical music, Previn served as music director of major orchestras such as the Houston Symphony (1967–1969), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1976–1984), and London Symphony Orchestra (1968–1979), while also performing as a jazz pianist with figures like Charlie Parker and recording prolifically. A prolific composer of operas, concertos, and ballets, he amassed ten Grammy Awards over his lifetime and was appointed a Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1996 for his contributions to music.

Andreas Ludwig Priwin was born on April 6, 1929, in Berlin, Germany, to Charlotte (née Epstein) and Jack (Jacob) Priwin, members of a secular Jewish family of upper-middle-class means. His father worked as a lawyer and occasional talent agent with connections in the German entertainment industry. The Priwins resided in Berlin amid the Weimar Republic's cultural vibrancy but encountered escalating antisemitic policies following the Nazi regime's rise to power in 1933, which systematically targeted Jewish professionals and families through laws restricting employment, citizenship, and public life.

In autumn 1938, as Kristallnacht and intensifying persecution threatened Jewish safety, the family fled Germany via Paris, where they briefly resided while securing visas. They sailed to New York and continued to California, arriving in Los Angeles by late November. This relocation was driven by pragmatic necessities of survival rather than opportunity-seeking, though Jack Priwin's distant relative, Charles Previn, served as music director at Universal Studios, providing an initial foothold in the American film industry. The family anglicized their surname to Previn and Andreas's given name to André George, reflecting assimilation pressures in their new environment. Previn became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943.