German conductor George Alexander Albrecht hails from Bremen; his elder brother is Ernst Albrecht, an influential politician within the former West Germany. After earning his diploma from the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Albrecht gained his first post with the Hanover Opera in 1965 at the age of 29, making him the youngest appointed conductor in Germany at the time. This would lead to position with Hanover that would last more than 30 years, though along the way he would guest conduct frequently elsewhere in Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Japan. Albrecht has concertized in the United States only once, appearing with the touring version of the Salzburg Festival as held in New York City. Albrecht retired from the Hanover Opera in 1993 in order to devote more time to guest-conducting appearances. Albrecht's international claim to fame has been through his excellent recorded interpretations of Wilhelm Furtwängler's symphonies for Arte Nova. He has long served as a champion of lesser-known music, and throughout his career has conducted works by composers such as Erwin Schulhoff, Allan Pettersson, and Bernd Aloïs Zimmermann. In 2004, Albrecht led the world premiere of Furtwängler's Symphonic Concerto for piano and orchestra.