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Hans Wolf, 92; Musician Held Posts With Operas in Seattle and Tacoma

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From Times Wire Reports

Hans Wolf, 92, a Holocaust refugee who conducted operas and symphonies on radio and television and had numerous positions with the Seattle Opera and the Tacoma Opera, died Friday in Seattle following a heart attack.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Wolf studied music at the University of Vienna, where he earned a PhD. He came to the United States in the late 1930s to escape Nazism. During World War II, he served as a translator for the U.S. Army in Europe.

He stayed in Europe to work in the postwar occupation and moved to Los Angeles in 1950. He was frequently a featured conductor for the Remington Records label. He spent much of the ‘60s in Los Angeles, conducting operas, including “Aida” and “Carmen,” for television.

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In the 1970s, he directed Seattle Opera’s chorus and conducted operas performed in English, often with his own translation, and led many community opera previews.

Wolf also led a revival of the Tacoma Opera, serving as artistic director from 1981 to 1996.

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