Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich on August 26, 1923.

His musical training as a conductor and pianist was interrupted by the Second World War. After returning home from British captivity as a prisoner of war, he completed his studies in 1946 with a state examination at the Munich Academy of Music.

He then found his first position at the Stadttheater Augsburg. After six years as General Music Director at the Theater Aachen, he took over this position in Wiesbaden from 1958 to 1960.

In addition to a professorship for conducting in Cologne, he held the position of chief conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for ten years from 1960.

From the early 1960s, Sawallisch lived in Grassau on Lake Chiemsee in Upper Bavaria. From there, he undertook numerous trips at home and abroad, conducting various renowned orchestras throughout his life.

In July 2007, he gave a concert with the Tonhalle Orchestra from Zurich during the Rheingau Music Festival at the Wiesbaden Kurhaus. Due to his importance for music and his relationship with the spa town, Lord Mayor Diehl received the conductor on July 12 in Wiesbaden's town hall. Diehl paid tribute to Sawallisch's services to music and his work in the city.

In his acceptance speech, his musical guest recalled his wonderful time in Wiesbaden and then signed the city's Golden Book.

Wolfgang Sawallisch died on February 22, 2013 in his adopted home of Grassau.