We all know Mendelssohn as composer of such masterworks as Elijah, his five symphonies, and his incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream. What you may not know, though, is that Mendelssohn was also one of the first "celebrity" conductors of his time. Mendelssohn made Leipzig his musical home when he was appointed the conductor of the famous Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1835. In addition to his duties as music director of the orchestra, he also conducted productions in the Leipzig Opera House, the chorus of the St. Thomas Church, and many other musical organizations in the town. Mendelssohn sealed his legacy in Leipzig's musical history when he founded the prestigious Leipzig Conservatory in 1843 and appointed such musical greats as Robert Schumann and Moritz Hauptmann to the faculty. To this day, memorials and events honoring Mendelssohn's impact on Leipzig's cultural life continue to exist to this day.