Born in Thionville in 1913, died in Strasbourg in 2001; Ernest Bour was a conductor. He studied piano, organ and music theory in Strasbourg as well as conducting with Fritz Münch and Hermann Scherchen. In 1934 he founded concerts for contemporary chamber music in Strasbourg together with Frédéric Adam. From 1941 to 1947 he directed the Städtisches Orchester Mülhausen and from 1950 to 1964 the Städtisches Orchester Straßburg. In 1964 he succeeded Hans Rosbaud as principal conductor of the Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks Baden-Baden and held this position until 1979; with the orchestra he took part regularly in the Donaueschinger Musiktage. He conducted premieres of Luciano Berio’s “Tempi concertati” (1959), Isang Yun’s “Réak” (1966), György Ligeti’s “Lontano” (1967) and Heinz Holliger’s “Pneuma” (1970), among others. From 1976 to 1987 he was permanent guest conductor of the Radio-Kammerorchester Hilversum. On the Cybele album Portrait Günther Becker (1998) he can be heard as conductor.
Ernest Bour
Conductor
