🔎

American musician who had an international career in the recording industry as a producer, composer, conductor and arranger.
Born Harold Manfred Kirchstein in New York City 1906-1993. Of a German father and French mother, he studied at Royal Berlin Academy of Music.As instrumentalist, Rene played the piano, saxophone, and Musette accordion. Returning to the U.S. in the mid-1920’s, he began appearing with several orchestras.
In the 1930’s, back in Berlin, he worked as a composer in the German film industry, an arranger with a German record label, & was appointed musical director of the two largest moving picture firms in Europe, Tobis and Ufa.
1936, he returned to the U.S., to accept the position of musical director with RCA-Victor’s international arm.
Forming his own orchestra in 1941, with great success, he served with the Allies in World War II.
Post-war, he resumed working for RCA Victor as a conductor and arranger.
With successful LP’s in the ’50’s, TV theme composition, & production work, he left RCA in 1959 as a freelance artist for the remainder of his career.
For his contributions to the recording industry, René has a Star at 1610 Vine Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
[born]: December 29, 1906 New York City, New York, U.S.A.
[died]: April 25, 1993 Houston, Texas, U.S.A.