Wolfgang Sawallisch (born August 26, 1923) is a German conductor and pianist.
He was born in Munich, and began his career at the opera house in Augsburg. In 1953 he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming the youngest person ever to do so, and when he debuted at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus conducting Tristan und Isolde in 1957, he was the youngest conductor ever to appear there as well. From 1960 to 1970 he was principal conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra , and from 1971 to 1986 was music director of the Bavarian State Opera. From 1993 to 2002 he was principal conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra where he is now conductor laureate.
As a pianist, he has accompanied a number of prominent singers in lieder, including Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.
