Günther Raphael

composer

Günter Raphael (30 April 1903 – 19 October 1960) was a German composer. Born in Berlin, Raphael was the grandson of composer Albert Becker. His first symphony was premiered by Wilhelm Furtwängler in 1926 in Leipzig. From 1926 to 1934 he taught in Leipzig, but illness and the rise of Fascism – he was declared a half-Jew – made this difficult for him. For surviving the Nazis while managing his illness he was awarded the Franz Liszt Award in 1948. His students include Kurt Hessenberg.