Conductor Kurt Masur, who was credited with helping prevent violence after the collapse of communism in East Germany and later reinvigorated the New York Philharmonic during an 11-year stint as music director, has died at 88. Among his other honors and position, he held the title of honorary guest conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mr. Masur was the Philharmonic’s music director from 1991 to 2002. When he took its helm, the orchestra was roundly considered to be a world-class ensemble in name only, its playing grown slipshod, its players fractious and discontented, its recording contracts unrenewed.

Born on July 18, 1927, in what was then the German town of Brieg — now Brzeg, Poland — Masur studied piano, composition and conducting at the Music College of Leipzig. He was appointed in 1955 as conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic in East Germany.

Mr. Masur’s work was widely seen as helping avert another Tiananmen Square. As a result, leaders of post-Communist, pre-reunification East Germany seriously considered nominating him for the country’s presidency. Then came the offer from the Philharmonic.

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