Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), grandson of the distinguished Jewish thinker Moses Mendelssohn, the additional surname Bartholdy adopted on his conversion to Christianity, was born in Hamburg, the son of a banker. The family moved to Berlin, where Mendelssohn was brought up, able to associate with a cultured circle of family friends. He was associated with the revival of public interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and in the early 1830s travelled abroad for his education, spending time in Italy and also visiting England, Wales, and Scotland. A talented composer, conductor, and pianist, he later served as conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, and also established a conservatory in that city.