Carl Reinecke (1824-1910), pianist, composer and conductor, received his musical training mainly from his father, and debuted as a soloist at the age of 11. Later he worked as court pianist in Copenhagen, as a teacher at the Cologne Conservatory, as conductor and music director in Barmen and as university music director in Breslau. In 1860 he became Gewandhaus-Kapellmeister in Leipzig. He was considered conservative, enmeshed in the German Romanticism; an outstanding pianist interpreter of the works of Mozart; and promoter of the works of Schumann and Chopin. In 1895 he left the position of Gewandhaus-Kapellmeister, which he had held for 35 years.
From 1897 until 1902 he taught at the Conservatory of Music. His legacy includes operas, symphonies, chamber music and piano compositions.