Around the Music Festival

German Leading composer Wolfgang Rihm passed away on July 27 at the age of 72. Known for his prolific output, Rihm composed more than 600 works for instruments, song, and other live instruments, including oratorios, orchestral works, ensembles, chamber works, and music theater.

He was born in Karlsruhe, began composing at the age of 11, and long studied composition and music theory from Eugen Werner Fuerte at the local Karlsruhe College of Music.

From 1973 he studied with Karlheinz Stockhausen at the Cologne University of Music. In 1974, he began studying with Klaus Huber at the Freiburg University of Music, and in the same year he made his name with the orchestral work “Morphonie – 4 Parts” presented at the Donaueschingen Festival.

Since 1984, he has been co-editor of the music magazine “Melos” and music advisor to the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and in 1985 he succeeded his teacher Klaus Huber as professor of composition at his alma mater.

After winning the Kranichstein Music Prize for his piano trio, he was inundated with composition commissions and established his reputation in the composition world.

In 1988, when conductor Claudio Abbado launched the “Wiener Moderne” contemporary music festival, he was selected as the theme composer along with Luigi Nono and Ligeti György.

In 1991 he was elected a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts and the Bavarian Academy of Arts, and in 1996 he became a member of the German Literary Academy. He was a resident composer of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lucerne Festival in 1997 and of the Salzburg Festival in 2000.

He has received numerous awards and decorations. He has also produced numerous composers under his direction, including Rebecca Sanders and Jörg Widmann.

PHOTO：SWR