From 1945 to 1959, the orchestra's main conductor was Eduard van Beinum, who had sometimes conducted the orchestra since 1929. He was especially fond of the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, and he made recordings of Bruckner's Eighth and Ninth Symphonies for the Philips Records. Van Beinum conducted the orchestra until April 1959 when he suddenly had a heart attack and died during a rehearsal.