Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922), who originated from Hungary, studied composition, piano, and violin at the Conservatory in Vienna. He initially worked as a violinist in various orchestras before transitioning to conducting. After stops in Leipzig, Boston, and Budapest, he was appointed in 1895 as both the Gewandhaus conductor in Leipzig and the chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. Nikisch, who was celebrated enthusiastically in the last 20 years of his life, is still regarded as one of the most significant conductors of all time. The biography by musicologist Arthur Dette was created in 1922, shortly after Nikisch's death. This is a revised reprint of the original edition published in Leipzig.