UNGER, HEINZ, 1895-1965
MUS 56

Heinz Unger fonds.  - 1893-1965.  - 2 m of textual records.  - 187 photographs.  - 6 drawings.  - 10 audio discs. 

Biographical sketch
Conductor born in Berlin, Germany, Heinz Unger studied music with Wilhelm Klatte, Theodor Schoenberger, Eduard Moerike and Fritz Stiedry.  In 1919 he began his professional career as a conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.  A talented conductor, he was invited to perform in many other German cities and in the Soviet Union, where he conducted the Leningrad Radio Orchestra, among others.  In 1933 he moved to England, where he conducted the Northern Philharmonia until 1947.  After a few visits to Canada, Heinz Unger decided to settle permanently in Toronto in 1948.  In Canada, he conducted the Promenade symphony concerts, founded an amateur orchestra, and conducted many orchestras for the French and English networks of the CBC.  He also gave numerous concerts for the York Concert Society. 

Scope and content
The fonds contains records pertaining to Heinz Unger's activity as a conductor and his relations with several world renowned musicians.  It includes:  biographical documents; correspondence including letters from such famous musicians as Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss, Willhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter, Leopold Stokowski, Rafaël Kubelik, Adrian Boult, etc.; writings on and by Heinz Unger; files on the York Concert Society; concert programmes; press clippings; promotional material; posters; manuscript scores; photographs mainly of Heinz Unger and of personalities in the music world; drawings and caricatures, chiefly of Heinz Unger; sound recordings of works conducted by Unger (Mahler and other Europeans) and of a radio interview. 

Immediate source of acquisition:  acquired from Hella Unger, the conductor's widow, in 1974, 1985 and 1986, and from daughter, Ines Johnston, in 1988. 

Restrictions:  some of the correspondence is confidential. 

Finding aids:  summary list.