Wolfgang Gönnenwein

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Wolfgang Gönnenwein (born January 29, 1933 in Schwäbisch Hall ; † July 26, 2015 ) was a German conductor and music teacher .

Education and professional career

After leaving school, Gönnenwein studied music and German at the universities of Heidelberg and Tübingen . He then worked as a music teacher at the Evangelical Secondary School Michelbach an der Bilz . In 1959 he became choirmaster of the South German Madrigal Choir; From 1969 to 1973 he also directed the choir of the Cologne Bach Society .

In 1968 Gönnenwein became a professor at the Stuttgart University of Music , where he was elected rector in 1973. He held this position until 1982. At that time he also directed the Ludwigsburg Palace Festival , which soon became an internationally known cultural event. Gönnenwein was also significantly involved in the new construction of the forum in the palace gardens in Ludwigsburg .

In the 1980s Gönnenwein undertook numerous concert tours to America and East Asia. On August 1, 1985, he became General Director of the Württemberg State Theater in Stuttgart , where he staged many groundbreaking productions.

In 1988, Prime Minister Lothar Späth brought him into the state government . He made him an honorary State Councilor for Art . After Späth resigned as Prime Minister in January 1991, Gönnenwein also resigned from his position as State Councilor. His successor in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Erwin Teufel was Gerhard Goll . Gönnenwein, whose contract with the Württemberg State Theaters had been extended for three years in 1989, came under pressure in 1992. He was investigated for embezzlement of public funds. He therefore resigned from his position in November 1992. A few weeks later, the contract with the Württemberg State Theaters was terminated.

In 1996, in addition to his work as director of the Ludwigsburg Palace Festival, Gönnenwein also became director of the Baden-Baden Festival , which was given a new building at the time. In 1998 Gönnenwein resigned from this office. In 2005 Gönnenwein also ended his activity at the Ludwigsburg Palace Festival. He was succeeded by Wulf Konold . For many years Gönnenwein was chairman of the German Music Competition , which is organized annually by the German Music Council . In 2005 Gönnenwein was elected President of the Baden-Württemberg State Music Council. He had to give up this post in September 2010 for health reasons.

Gönnenwein was with Ilse geb. Eppler, a sister of the SPD politician Erhard Eppler , married. Together they became parents of two sons.

Tours (selection)

  • 1971 Brazil - Argentina - Chile - Peru - Colombia - Venezuela - Mexico
  • 1973 Budapest
  • 1976 London - Brighton - Versailles
  • 1978 Budapest - Bratislava
  • 1979 Moscow - Leningrad - Vilnius - Ascona - Stresa
  • 1981 Bayreuth
  • 1982 Festival International Echternach Luxemburg - Festival St. Denis Paris - Bruckner Festival Linz - Festival van Vlaanderen Loewen / Gent
  • 1983 Festival de Musique Strasbourg - Bregenz Festival - Bruckner Festival Linz - Budapest
  • 1984 Jerusalem - Nazareth - Paris - Le Havre
  • 1985 Far East tour: Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka - Wakayama - Okayama - Nagoya - Nakaniida - Seoul - Hong Kong
  • 1986 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival - opening concert Helsinki Festival
  • 1987 China: Beijing - Shenyang - Shanghai
  • 1988 Paris - Nice
  • 1989 Japan: Yokohama - Kyoto - Osaka - Tokyo - Nakaniida
  • 1990 Leipzig - Dresden - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Music Festival
  • 1992 Madrid - Seville - Oviedo - Strasbourg
  • 1993 Las Palmas - Gran Canaria - Tenerife
  • 1994 Athens - Marbella
  • 1995 Singapore - Prague - Dijon - Strasbourg
  • 1996 Cologne Philharmonic - Carinthian Summer, Ossiach / Villach
  • 1997 Moscow
  • 1998 South Africa: Cape Town - Stellenbosch - Durban - Pretoria - Johannesburg
  • 2000 Ukraine: Kiev - Odessa - Kharkiv - Lviv
  • 2001 South America: Buenos Aires - La Plata - São Paulo
  • 2001 Italy: Brescia - Bergamo
  • 2003 St. Petersburg
  • 2004 Shanghai
  • 2005 Festival de Musica de Canarias
  • 2006 South Africa: Durban - KZN Philharmonic Grand Finale

Sound carrier (selection)

TV productions (selection)

Other offices, honors and awards

Wolfgang Gönnenwein was a representative of the State Music Council in the SWR Broadcasting Council . In 2003 he was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Medal of Merit.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Forum at the castle park. In: www.forum.ludwigsburg.de. Retrieved November 29, 2016 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gönnenwein, Wolfgang
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German conductor and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH January 29, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Schwäbisch Hall
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 2015