Hans Lange

Who was Hans Lange?

Hans Lange was a German-American conductor and musician. He was a son of Paul Lange, who had been a lecturer for music at the American College for Girls and German High School Istanbul in the 1890s, and later was appointed the Sultan's director of music. Hans Lange himself was an alumnus of German High School Istanbul.

Lange was educated in Prague and other European cities. After assignments in several German cities, for example in Bielefeld, he entered the United States in 1925 with a German orchestra to give concerts. The orchestra was dissolved during the tour, and Lange had to restart his career.

Lange joined the New York Philharmonic Orchestra as a violinist in 1927, but began soon to conduct as well. He became assistant of Arturo Toscanini, and rehearsed almost all his performances. At that time, he also worked on his own as a conductor: besides numerous assignments as conductor of the New York Philharmonic in concerts at the Carnegie Hall until 1936, he e.g. recorded one of his Wagner concerts with the famous soprano Kirsten Flagstad for HMV Records.

In 1936–1943 he worked as Associate Conductor and later became Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.