Max Rudolf; Leader of Symphony, Teacher of Conducting

Max Rudolf, 92, a top conductor and teacher who taught others his art. Rudolf served as conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony from 1958 until 1970. He had wide influence on two generations of conductors as a teacher at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His innovative methods included advising beginners to stop conducting occasionally and let the orchestra continue on its own, thus demonstrating that some motions were unnecessary. He wrote a textbook called “The Grammar of Conducting” in 1950, which is still used. Rudolf was much in demand as a guest conductor, appearing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and began the study of music at age 7, playing piano, organ, cello and trumpet. He made his conducting debut in 1923 in Freiburg, Germany. On Wednesday in Philadelphia.