Kurt Herbert Adler (born April 2, 1905,Vienna, Austria—died February 9, 1988, Ross,California, U.S.) was an Austrian-born American conductor and administrator who transformed theSan Francisco Opera into one of the nation’s leadingopera companies.

Adler was educated in Vienna at the Academy of Music, the Conservatory, and theUniversity of Vienna. In the decade following his debut as a conductor at Vienna’sMax Reinhardt Theatre (1925–28), he conducted in various opera houses across Europe and assistedArturo Toscanini at the 1936 Salzburg Festival. In 1938 he fled from the German annexation ofAustria and emigrated to theUnited States, where he became guest conductor at the Chicago Opera (1938–43) and an American citizen (1941).

Adler left Chicago when Gaetano Merola, the founder of the San Francisco Opera, hired him to join his staff as a chorus director and conductor (1943–53). After Merola’s death, Adler assumed control of the company as artistic director (1953–57) and general director (1957–81). Under his leadership, the San Francisco Opera shed its modest regional status to become aninternational company with a bold, innovative repertory. He expanded the budget, doubled the length of the regular season, added spring and summer seasons, enlisted new artists, and fostered inventive programs such as the San Francisco Opera Auditions (1954), the Merola Opera Program (1957), and the Brown Bag Opera (1974). During histenure, the San Francisco Opera gave two world and 18 American premieres and introduced many notable artists to the American opera stage, including singers Boris Christoff,Birgit Nilsson,Leontyne Price, and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and conductor SirGeorg Solti. Adler recorded albums with such opera greats as tenorsLuciano Pavarotti andPlacido Domingo. After his retirement in 1981, the San Francisco Opera named him general director emeritus.