Sir Rudolph Bing (January 9, 1902 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian-born operatic impresario. Bing was general manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for 22 years (1950 – 1972).
Born in Vienna to a well-to-do and musical family, Bing studied at the University of Vienna and as a young man worked in theatrical and concert agencies. In 1927 he went to Berlin, Germany and subsequently served as general manager of opera houses in that city and in Darmstadt.
In 1934, with the rise of Nazi Germany, Bing moved to Great Britain. There he helped to found the Glyndebourne Festival and, after the war, organized the Edinburgh Festival.
In 1949 he came to the United States, where he was appointed general manager of the Met the following year. During his tenure, he opened the house to African Americans, with Leontyne Price as the most prominent example. He also supervised the move of the old Metropolitan to its new quarters in Lincoln Center.
Knighted in 1983, Bing wrote two books, 5000 Nights at the Opera and A Knight at the Opera. He died of respiratory failure in Yonkers, New York, aged 95.
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