As a trustee of composers, Günter Wand realized his vision of musical perfection. He conveyed to musicians and listeners alike, especially in his later works, the feeling: "This is how it must be, and not otherwise!" The authorized biography of this great conductor is based not only on thorough archival research but also on Wand's own thoughts and memories. In the musical life of our time, Günter Wand (1912–2002) was a unique figure. Literally rebuilding the opera and concert life of Cologne from the ruins after the war, he took over as chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg at the age of seventy, where he remained active as honorary conductor until his death. Günter Wand embodied the antithesis of the podium star and jet-set conductor focused on audience impact. He witnessed the structural changes in our society and musical life for nearly seven decades of his professional career.