ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Franz Waxman's dual role as a composer and conductor. It contextualizes the term “composer-conductor” within mid-twentieth-century American concert culture, highlighting its ideological implications and its evolution in meaning. Waxman's strategic self-presentation as an artist is analysed through his programming choices, public relations efforts, and key performances, such as his 1949 Paris concert and his interpretations of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony as a conductor. The chapter also addresses the critical reception of Waxman's conducting, which was shaped by prevailing biases against Hollywood film music and programmatic interpretations of canonical works.
