Around the Music Festival

Gerd Seifert, a long-time Principal horn at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, passed away. He was 88 years old. He joined the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1964, and served as the principal player until leaving in 1996. He played a part of the sound of the Herbert von Karajan era when he established the golden age.

Born in Hamburg, he was instructed by Albert Doescher, principal player of the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, joined Düsseldorf’s Deutsche Oper am Rhein orchestra in 1948 and served as principal player until 1964. In 1956 he won the horn division of the Munich International Music Competition（Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD）. Prior to joining the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, since 1961 he was a member of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra.

Besides playing, he taught at the Berlin University of the Arts and the Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1970 to 2003. After retiring, He acted as a freelance player.

Photo：Berliner Philharmoniker