Hanns-Martin Schneidt | |
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| Born | (1930-12-06)6 December 1930 Kitzingen, Germany |
| Died | 28 May 2018(2018-05-28) (aged 87) nearMunich, Germany |
| Education | |
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Hanns-Martin Schneidt (6 December 1930 – 28 May 2018[1]) was a German conductor, harpsichordist, organist and academic. He held teaching positions in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Tokyo, wasGeneralmusikdirektor inWuppertal, artistic director of theMünchener Bach-Chor and theKanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, and founded Bach ensembles in Berlin and Tokyo.
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Born inKitzingen, Schneidt grew up inLeipzig in the family of a pastor.[2] He became a member of theThomanerchor in 1940 underThomaskantorGünther Ramin at age 10.[3] He studied at theMusikhochschule München from 1949 to 1952. While he studied, he began to work as the church musician at theErlöserkirche inMunich.[4] In 1954, he received the Richard-Strauss-Preis of Munich.
In 1955, he was appointed director of theKirchenmusikschule in Berlin, at age 25.[3] He founded in 1961 theBach-Chor [de] and Bach-Collegium at theKaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche[3] for regular performances ofBach cantatas,[5] and conducted the groups to 1963.[2] He was professor at theMusikhochschule Hamburg from 1971 to 1978. He was also, from 1963 to 1985Generalmusikdirektor of theSinfonieorchester Wuppertal [de], including theopera.[2] In 1984, he became the successor ofKarl Richter as artistic director of theMünchener Bach-Chor.[3] In 1985 he was appointed professor of orchestral conducting and church music at the Musikhochschule München. He left the Münchener Bach-Chor in 2001 at age 70, but kept conducting Bach groups that he had founded in Tokyo.[6] From 2001, he was professor at theTokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and artistic director of theKanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, based inYokohama, from 2007 to 2009.[2]
Schneidt worked with several German symphony orchestras, such as theBerliner Philharmoniker, theMünchner Philharmoniker and theRundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB), and withChor und Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.[3]
He died near Munich on 28 May 2018.[3]
Schneidt was awarded the Eduard von der Heydt Prize ofWuppertal, in recognition of his shaping of the town's musical life over many years, without routine but transparency for the musical work of art at hand, in a broad repertory.[7] He received theBavarian Order of Merit in 2001.[4]
