ABOUT HELMUT ROLOFF
Influential German musician and educator whose anti-Nazi activities during World War II almost ended his career prematurely.
He studied with Richard Rüssler after enrolling at Berlin's Hochschule für Musik (later the Universität der Künste Berlin) in 1935.
He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 for his work with the resistance group The Schulze-Boysen/Harnack Organization, but was released when little evidence of his activities was found.
He had three sons with wife Inge Roloff: filmmaker Stefan Roloff, flutist Ulrich Roloff, and pianist Johannes Roloff.
He and fellow German Andre Previn were contemporaries.
