Born in Arys, East Prussia, Sanderling, after early work at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, left for Russia in 1936, where he worked with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra. From 1942 to 1960 he was joint principal conductor with Evgeny Mravinsky of the Leningrad Philharmonic. He then returned to Germany where he led the Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Dresden Staatskapelle. He made his British debut in 1970.

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