City Opera conductor Julius Rudel dies at 93

NEW YORK (AP) — Julius Rudel (ROO-dell), general director and principal conductor of the New York City Opera for 22 years until 1979 and who led other operas around the world, died Thursday morning, his representative said. He was 93.

Lisa Jaehling said Rudel died of natural causes in his New York City home.

Rudel was born in Austria, but moved to the United States as a teenager. He led more than 150 operas in the world's major opera houses, including the Vienna Staatsoper, Paris Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Music Center Opera.

He joined the New York City Opera in 1957. The City Opera filed for bankruptcy and shut down late last year.

Rudel is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.