Charles de Wolff

Charles de Wolff (2000)

Charles de Wolff (born June 19, 1932 in Mussel, Onstwedde municipality , † November 23, 2011 in Zwolle ) was a Dutch organist and conductor.

Life

Charles de Wolff was born as the son of the Reformed preacher Isaak de Wolff in Mussel and grew up partly in Enschede , where his father took up a new position as a preacher in 1935. He studied organ with Stoffel van Viegen and George Stam at the Conservatory in Utrecht, later piano, music theory and orchestral conducting with Anthon van der Horst at the Conservatory in Amsterdam . In 1953 he completed his studies with a diploma. In 1954 he was awarded the Prix ​​d'Excellence for organ. He received his further training with Jeanne Demessieux in Paris and from 1956 to 1959 in orchestral conducting with Franco Ferrara and Albert Wolf in Hilversum .

In the course of his career, de Wolff gave concerts on almost all large Dutch organs. His repertoire includes the works of Johann Sebastian Bach as well as contemporary Dutch and French music. In 1988 he received a prize from the Académie Française for his interpretation of French organ music .

Until its dissolution in 1989, Charles de Wolff was chief conductor of the Noordelijk Filharmonisch Orkest in Groningen for over 25 years . He led several choirs, including the choir of the Nederlandse Bachvereniging , which he took over in 1965 from his teacher and mentor Anthon van der Horst. From 1965 to 1983 he was also director of the annual performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion in Naarden , where he also succeeded Van der Horst.

In addition to the music of the Baroque era , de Wolff also dealt with contemporary works and gave numerous Dutch premieres with the Noordelijk Filharmonisch Orkest , including works by Olivier Messiaen .

Web links

• Charles de Wolff on Bach-Cantatas.com (English)