Michael beauty
Michael Schönheit (* 1961 in Saalfeld ) is a German organist and conductor .
biography
Michael Schönheit received his first musical training in piano and organ playing from his father, the organist and choir director Walter Schönheit, and was a member of the Thuringian Boys' Choir in Saalfeld until 1978 , which his father had newly founded.
After graduating from high school, from 1978 to 1985, Schönheit studied conducting with Wolf-Dieter Hauschild , piano with Günther Kootz and from 1982 organ with Wolfgang Schetelich at the Leipzig University of Music "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" . After completing his studies, he succeeded his father at the Johanniskirche in Saalfeld, which he held until 1990, and until 1991 he was also the director of the choirs at the Johanneskirche in Saalfeld.
In 1986 he was appointed Gewandhaus organist as the successor to Matthias Eisenberg . At the same time he became a member of the Leipzig Bach Orchestra. Schönheit worked with important conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt , Kurt Masur , Michel Plasson , Marek Janowski and Wolf-Dieter Hauschild. Kurt Masur enabled him to make his debut as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic in 1995 .
In 1991/92 he temporarily took over the rehearsals of the Gewandhaus Choir. He then taught artistic and liturgical organ playing at the now closed church music school in Berlin-Spandau, and since 1994 he has been teaching artistic organ playing at the Nuremberg University of Music .
Since 1994 he has also been the artistic director of the Merseburg Organ Days and was also appointed honorary organist of the Merseburg Cathedral in March 1996 . In the last few years he has devoted himself increasingly to conducting, since 1998 he has directed the Merseburger Hofmusik and the Ensemble Collegium Vocale Leipzig . He is still connected to his hometown Saalfeld through regular cooperation with the chamber choir of the Saalfeld Palace Chapel .
Michael Schönheit dedicates himself to the historical fortepiano. He has been playing a John Broadwood fortepiano from 1805 since 2006.
Awards
- Winner of the VII International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in 1984
- Mendelssohn grant from the Ministry of Culture of the GDR
- Order of Merit of the State of Saxony-Anhalt 2015
Individual evidence
- ^ Bach Archive Leipzig: Bach Prize Winners since 1950
Web links
- Works by and about Michael Schönheit in the catalog of the German National Library
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Beauty, Michael |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German organist and conductor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1961 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saalfeld |