Maestro Mueller realized that I was financially needy so refused payment for my private lessons and invited me to perform with Waukesha (Wisc.) Symphony as trombonist and, in Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe, as percussionist—which I nervously did without a single error. Read more…

“Otto was the definition of the word ‘maestro,’” Curtis President ROBERTO DÍAZ (Viola ’84) recalled in learning of Mr. Mueller’s passing. “He was an absolute master of the musical art form who brought new insights and nuance to every score he interpreted and every rehearsal he led. I know our students feel fortunate to have studied with him, not only because they learned deeply and profoundly about music, but because they understood he was also teaching them about life. Because of him, all of us at Curtis understand more fully the importance of respect, how to learn, and how to offer the very best of which we are capable.” Read more…

During my conducting studies in my hometown, Berlin, I approached Kurt Masur, then the music director of both the Gewandhausorchester and the New York Philharmonic, to ask what would be the best place to finish my studies. He briskly replied, “Go to New York; Mueller is the right man!” Little did I know that I’d have to undergo a three-to-four round, two-day audition ordeal to earn my new master’s approval, but I did, and the experience of working with him turned out to be pivotal. Read more…

A seemingly formidable giant, he will be remembered for being supremely generous with his knowledge. His life was a true contribution to music, clearly leading the orchestra in rehearsal but then “taking a back seat” in the concert to the performers. It was never about “him”, but always the music. Read more…

A person of exacting standards whose knowledge of the musical score was supreme, he was able to mold orchestras and young conductors in ways that brought out the best in them all. His many students have gone on to highly successful careers as orchestral musicians and conductors. Read more…

Some mentors pass on and leave us conflicted about how to honor them. But it’s clear to me that the best way to honor Otto-Werner Mueller is to continue the work that he cherished: to devote ourselves to performing great music with integrity; to turn from empty gestures to genuine expression; and to become, and support, leaders who recognize the immense power of the music that we champion. Time-beaters and one-line players alike, we are all in his debt. And I’ll hear his voice every time I see a single forte on the page. Read more…

An imposing man who generally used minimal movements on the podium, Mr. Mueller largely concentrated on the somewhat alchemic concept of how gesture elicited orchestral sound...He could make a point just by raising an eyebrow with his trademark, one-word warning: Careful. Read more…

Mueller was a commanding presence on and off the podium due to his physical stature—he stood at six feet, seven inches tall – as well as his probing intellect and uncompromising musical standards...Widely regarded as the most important conducting pedagogue of the last 50 years, Mueller’s approach to conducting technique and score analysis attracted a generation of talented conductors from around the world to study at Yale. Read more…

As a teacher, Maestro Mueller instilled in his students a tremendous sense of responsibility to the music itself. He passed this sense of responsibility and artistry on to a whole new generation of orchestral players and conductors. Read more…

Otto Werner Mueller (1926-2016) was a giant in many respects: physically at over two meters in height, intellectually because of his incredible analytical mind, and musically both as a teacher and as a conductor, especially of conservatory orchestras at Yale, Juilliard and Curtis. Read more…

Video Tribute to Mueller (YouTube)