Role

:

Conductor Performer

Period

:

Baroque

 

 

Classical

Genre

:

Choral

 

Wolfgang Gonnenwein was a German conductor, composer, and musicologist who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. He was born on March 13, 1933, in Stuttgart, Germany, and grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a church musician, and his mother was a singer. From a young age, Gonnenwein showed a keen interest in music and began playing the piano and the violin. Gonnenwein studied music at the Stuttgart Conservatory and later at the University of Tübingen, where he earned a degree in musicology. He also studied conducting with Hans Müller-Kray and Hermann Scherchen. In 1959, he founded the Stuttgart Chamber Choir, which he directed for over 30 years. The choir gained international recognition for its performances of works by Bach, Handel, and Mozart. Gonnenwein made his conducting debut in 1962 with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. He went on to conduct many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He was particularly known for his interpretations of the works of Bach, Handel, and Mozart. One of Gonnenwein's most significant achievements was his work on the complete recordings of Bach's sacred cantatas. He recorded all 200 cantatas with the Stuttgart Chamber Choir and Orchestra, a project that took over 20 years to complete. The recordings were released on the Hänssler Classic label and received critical acclaim. Gonnenwein was also a prolific composer, with over 100 works to his name. His compositions include operas, choral works, and orchestral pieces. He was particularly interested in setting texts by contemporary poets to music and often collaborated with writers such as Hans Magnus Enzensberger and Günter Grass. Throughout his career, Gonnenwein received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to classical music. In 1983, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and in 1993, he received the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg. He was also awarded the Bach Medal by the city of Leipzig in 2000. Gonnenwein continued to conduct and compose music well into his later years. He passed away on December 6, 2015, at the age of 82. His legacy lives on through his recordings, compositions, and the many musicians he inspired and mentored throughout his career.

More....