Tintner joined the Vienna Boys Choir at nine and sang with it until
he was 13. During this
period he was fortunate enough to sing all the Bruckner masses
under the direction of Franz Schalk, thus
beginning a lifelong association with the composer whose music
proved so crucial to his later career.
Initially Tintner entertained aspirations to become a professional
composer, entering the Vienna Music
Academy as a pupil of Joseph Marx. At the same time he studied
conducting and enrolled in the master class
of Felix Weingartner.
In 1954 Tintner moved to Australia, eventually becoming resident
conductor of the Australian National
Opera, where he began to build up a reputation as a fine interpreter of the standard operatic repertoire.
Having declined invitations to return to Europe at this time,
he remained in Australia until 1966, when he was
appointed music director at the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra.
The following year, therefore, he resigned, this time returning to England where he conducted at
Sadler's Wells from 1967 to 1970.
Then he worked as an opera conductor and eventually became music director of the Queensland
Philharmonic Orchestra from 1976 to 1987.
