Kurt Thomas (composer)
Encyclopedia
Kurt Thomas was a German
composer
, conductor and music educator.
He was born in Tönning
and died in Bad Oeynhausen
.
In 1936 he won a silver medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his Kantate zur Olympiade 1936 (Olympic Cantata, 1936).
From 1939 to 1945 he was in Frankfurt director of the Musisches Gymnasium (High school with main courses in music). Among his students were choral conductors Heinz Hennig
and Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
, composers Alfred Koerppen, Wolfgang Pasquay, Wolfgang Schoor, Siegfried Strohbach
, Paul Kuhn
, and organist Michael Schneider.
Thomas was the Thomaskantor
, the cantor
of the Thomanerchor
, from 1957 to 1960.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor and music educator.
He was born in Tönning
Tönning
Tönning is a town in the district of Nordfriesland in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. During the Great Northern War, Tönning was besieged twice.-Geography:...
and died in Bad Oeynhausen
Bad Oeynhausen
Bad Oeynhausen is a spa town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Bad Oeynhausen is located on the banks of the Weser river, which runs along the eastern edges of the town. Bad Oeynhausen has the world's highest carbonated, thermal saltwater fountain,...
.
In 1936 he won a silver medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his Kantate zur Olympiade 1936 (Olympic Cantata, 1936).
From 1939 to 1945 he was in Frankfurt director of the Musisches Gymnasium (High school with main courses in music). Among his students were choral conductors Heinz Hennig
Heinz Hennig
Heinz Hennig was a German choral conductor and an academic, known for founding the Knabenchor Hannover in 1950 and leading it until 2001.- Biography :...
and Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch is a German choral conductor, conducting the Thomanerchor from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He is also a tenor and an academic.- Biography :...
, composers Alfred Koerppen, Wolfgang Pasquay, Wolfgang Schoor, Siegfried Strohbach
Siegfried Strohbach
Siegfried Strohbach is a German composer and conductor. He founded and directed choirs and the vocal ensemble Collegium Cantorum and is notable for the composition of choral music...
, Paul Kuhn
Paul Kuhn
Paul Kuhn was a German operatic tenor who specialized in the buffo repertoire. He studied singing in Breslau and performed at important opera houses and festivals in Germany and Austria like the Bavarian State Opera, the Bayreuth Festival, the Darmstadt Opera, and the Salzburg Festival...
, and organist Michael Schneider.
Thomas was the Thomaskantor
Thomaskantor
The Thomaskantor is the musical director of the Thomanerchor in Leipzig, founded in 1212. He is appointed by Leipzig's city council and his duties are to lead the weekly services called Motette, Sunday services and other services in the Thomaskirche, also to conduct recordings and tours.Johann...
, the cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
of the Thomanerchor
Thomanerchor
The Thomanerchor is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. At present, the choir consists of 92 boys from 9 to 18 years of age...
, from 1957 to 1960.
External links
- Kurt Thomas website
- Kurt Thomas Frankfurter Kantorei
- Hans Riebsamen: Der Fall Kurt Thomas: Ein Musiker zwischen Anpassung und Selbstbehauptung Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 18 May 2004