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Austrian composer and conductor, who combined Romantic elements from the 19th century with the Modernism of the early 20th century. Born in Kaliste, Austria-Hungary (today in the Czech Republic), he moved to Vienna at 15 and studied music at its conservatory and university. He conducted in several opera houses around Europe from 1880-1897. Subsequently, Mahler was the director of the Vienna Hofoper for a decade, a position for which he had to convert to Catholicism. In 1907, he immigrated to the U.S. and achieved great success as the conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra. He composed nine symphonies, which established his status as one of the most popular composers in classical music.
