born Jan. 8, 1830, Dresden, Saxony
died Feb. 12, 1894, Cairo, Egypt
German conductor and pianist.
He studied piano with Clara Schumann 's father. His meetings with the composers Franz Liszt (1849) and Richard Wagner (1850) led to his decision to give up law for music, and with their help he launched a renowned career as conductor and pianist, studying with Liszt from 1851 and marrying his daughter Cosima in 1857. He was appointed court conductor to Louis II and later director of the Munich Conservatory. He conducted the premieres of Wagner's operas Tristan und Isolde (1859) and Die Meistersinger (1868). Cosima abandoned von Bülow for Wagner, whom she married in 1870; nonetheless, von Bülow continued to promote Wagner's music. He was one of the first conductors to conduct from memory; his interpretations were noted for their integrity and emotional power.