57 Notable alumni of
Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich
Updated:
The Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich is 935th in the world, 332nd in Europe, and 40th in Germany by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 57 notable alumni from the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Carl Orff
- Occupations
- librettistcomposeruniversity teachermusicologistmusic theorist
- Biography
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Carl Heinrich Maria Orff was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata Carmina Burana (1937). The concepts of his Schulwerk were influential for children's music education.
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Jonas Kaufmann
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Jonas Kaufmann is a German-Austrian tenor opera singer. He is best known for the versatility of his repertoire, performing a variety of opera roles in multiple languages in recital and concert each season. Some of his standout roles include Don José in Carmen, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur, Don Alvaro in La forza del destino, Siegmund in Die Walküre, and the title roles in Parsifal, Werther, Don Carlos, and Lohengrin. In 2014 The New York Times described Kaufmann as "a box-office draw, and... the most important, versatile tenor of his generation."
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Julia Fischer
- Enrolled in the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich
- Studied in 1992
- Occupations
- violinistpianistacademic musician
- Biography
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Julia Fischer is a German classical violinist, violist, and pianist. She teaches at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts and performs up to 60 times per year.
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Franz Welser-Möst
- Occupations
- conductormusic director
- Biography
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Franz Leopold Maria Möst, known professionally as Franz Welser-Möst, is an Austrian conductor. He is currently music director of the Cleveland Orchestra.
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Christoph von Dohnányi
- Occupations
- theatre managerconductor
- Biography
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Christoph von Dohnányi was a German conductor. He was both music director and later artistic director at the Oper Frankfurt until 1977, establishing innovative opera. He was music director of The Cleveland Orchestra from 1984 to 2002, leading the orchestra in recordings with various labels and on international tours to Europe and Asia. He was principal conductor of London's Philharmonia Orchestra from 1997 to 2008, touring Europe including a series of opera performances at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. He was chief conductor of the NDR Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2010.
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Josef Rheinberger
- Occupations
- university teachermusicologistcomposer
- Biography
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Josef Gabriel Rheinberger was an composer and organist from Liechtenstein, residing in Bavaria for most of his life. As court conductor in Munich, he was responsible for the music in the royal chapel. He is known for sacred music, works for organ and vocal works, such as masses, a Christmas cantata and the motet Abendlied; he also composed two operas and three singspiele, incidental music, secular choral music, two symphonies and other instrumental works, chamber music, and works for organ.
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Eugen Jochum
- Enrolled in the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich
- 1922-1925 studied music composition and conducting
- Occupations
- conductorchapelmaster
- Biography
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Eugen Jochum was a German conductor, best known for his interpretations of the music of Anton Bruckner and Johannes Brahms, among others. He was principal conductor for the Berlin Radio (1932–1944), Bavarian (1949–1960) and Bamberg (1969–1973) symphony orchestras.
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Arabella Steinbacher
- Occupations
- violinist
- Biography
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Arabella Miho Steinbacher is a German classical violinist.
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Jörg Widmann
- Enrolled in the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich
- 1986-1997 graduated with master's degree
- Occupations
- composerconductorclarinetistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Jörg Widmann is a German composer, conductor and clarinetist. In 2023, Widmann was the third most performed living contemporary composer in the world. Formerly a clarinet and composition professor at the University of Music Freiburg, he holds a composition professorship at the Barenboim–Said Akademie. His most important compositions are the concert overture Con brio, the opera Babylon, an oratorio Arche, Viola Concerto, Friedenskantate and the trumpet concerto Towards Paradise. Widmann has written musical tributes to Classical and Romantic composers. He was awarded the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art in 2018 and the Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in 2023. He was Gewandhaus composer of the Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig and composer in residence for the Berlin Philharmonic.
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Benjamin Appl
- Occupations
- opera singersinger
- Biography
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Benjamin Appl is a German-British lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared worldwide in opera houses and concert halls, particularly known as a Lieder singer.
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Annette Dasch
- Occupations
- performing artistmusicianopera singer
- Biography
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Annette Dasch is a German soprano. She has performed in opera and concerts internationally, often portraying Mozart characters such as Elvira in Don Giovanni at La Scala, Aminta in Il re pastore at the Salzburg Festival, and Electra in Idomeneo at the reopening of the Cuvilliés Theatre in 2008. She made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Elsa in Lohengrin in 2010.
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Hermann Abendroth
- Occupations
- conductoruniversity teacherpoliticiancomposermusic educator
- Biography
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Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth was a German conductor.
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Hans Hotter
- Occupations
- opera singeractor
- Biography
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Hans Hotter was a German operatic bass-baritone. He stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and his appearance was striking. His voice and diction were equally recognisable.
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Christian Gerhaher
- Occupations
- opera singeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Christian Gerhaher is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer.
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Mine Kawakami
- Occupations
- composerpianist
- Biography
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Mine Kawakami is a Japanese pianist and composer.
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Gerhard Oppitz
- Occupations
- pianistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Gerhard Oppitz is a German classical pianist.
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Valer Barna-Sabadus
- Occupations
- opera singersinger
- Biography
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Valer Barna-Săbăduș, also Valer Sabadus, is a Romanian-German countertenor. He sings in both the alto and soprano range.
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Ludwig Thuille
- Occupations
- music theoristprofessormusicologistcomposermusic educator
- Biography
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Ludwig Wilhelm Andreas Maria Thuille /ˈtui̯lə/ was an Austrian composer and teacher, numbered for a while among the leading operatic composers of the so-called Munich School of composers, whose most famous representative was Richard Strauss.
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Moritz Eggert
- Occupations
- pianistconductorcomposer
- Biography
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Moritz Eggert is a German composer and pianist.
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Marina Chiche
- Occupations
- violinistmusic educatorradio personality
- Biography
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Marina Chiche is a French classical violinist.
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Heinrich Sutermeister
- Occupations
- university teacherwritercomposer
- Biography
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Heinrich Sutermeister was a Swiss composer, most famous for his opera Romeo und Julia.
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Enrique García Asensio
- Occupations
- composerfiddlerconductormusicologist
- Biography
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Enrique García Asensio is a Spanish violinist, composer and conductor.
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Kirill Troussov
- Occupations
- violinistviolin teacher
- Biography
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Kirill Troussov is a German violinist and violin teacher based in Munich, Germany.
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Daniel Hoevels
- Occupations
- film actoractorstage actor
- Biography
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Daniel Hoevels is a Swedish-born German theater actor.
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Felix Chen
- Years
- 1942-2018 (aged 76)
- Occupations
- conductor
- Biography
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Felix Chen or Chen Chiu-sen was a Taiwanese conductor and violinist. He was resident conductor and music director of the Taipei Symphony Orchestra from 1986 until his dismissal in 2003. He taught both Chien Wen-pin, musical director of the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra from 2001 to 2007; and the same orchestra's current maestro, Lü Shao-chia.
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Valentina Babor
- Occupations
- pianist
- Biography
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Valentina Babor is a German classical pianist. She began performing before audiences and winning youth competitions as a child. At 12, she was accepted by Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the Mozarteum, where she became part of the university's "Initiative Hochbegabten-Förderung", a program for highly gifted students. In 2009, barely an adult, she played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto in C minor in concert. She continues to perform internationally.
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Jonel Perlea
- Occupations
- composerconductor
- Biography
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Ionel Perlea was a Romanian conductor particularly associated with the Italian and German opera repertories.
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Claus Guth
- Occupations
- opera directortheatre managerdirectortheatrical director
- Biography
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Claus Guth is a German theatre director, focused on opera. He has directed operas at major houses and festivals, including world premieres such as works of the Munich Biennale, and Berio's Cronaca del luogo at the Salzburg Festival in 1999. Guth is particularly known for his opera productions of the works of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. He has received two Faust awards, for Daphne by Richard Strauss in 2010, and for Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, both at the Oper Frankfurt.
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Winfried Bönig
- Occupations
- music educatorconductoruniversity teachermusicologistorganist
- Biography
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Winfried Bönig is a German organist.
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Frederick Converse
- Occupations
- composeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Frederick Shepherd Converse, was an American composer of classical music, whose works include four operas and five symphonies.
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Jurgita Dronina
- Occupations
- ballet dancer
- Biography
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Jurgita Dronina is a Lithuanian ballet dancer. Until 2024, she was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, having previously danced with Royal Swedish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and English National Ballet. In January 2025, she was appointed artistic director of the Lithuanian National Ballet.
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Lenneke Ruiten
- Occupations
- opera singerperforming artist
- Biography
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Lenneke Ruiten is a Dutch soprano. Ruiten studied at the Music Conservatory in Alkmaar and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, and at the Franz Schubert Institut in Baden bei Wien near Vienna.
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Laura Aikin
- Occupations
- opera singermusician
- Biography
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Laura Aikin is an American operatic coloratura soprano. She is noted for her portrayal of the title character in Lulu, which has received very positive reviews in the press. She has also appeared as Mozart's Queen of the Night, Zerbinetta by Richard Strauss and in contemporary opera at international opera houses and festivals.
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Emilios Riadis
- Occupations
- composerpoetpianistwriter
- Biography
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Emilios Riadis was a Greek composer.
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Philipp Wolfrum
- Occupations
- composerconductormusicologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Philipp Julius Wolfrum was a German conductor, musicologist, composer, organist and academic teacher. He was influential to university education in church music in Heidelberg, and in 1907 became the town's Generalmusikdirektor.
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Martin Scherber
- Occupations
- music educatorcomposer
- Biography
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Martin Scherber was a German composer and the creator of what he described as "metamorphosis symphonies".
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Alexandra Flood
- Years
- 1990-.. (age 36)
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Alexandra Flood is an Australian operatic soprano.
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Gabriel Dessauer
- Occupations
- conductorcantorchoir directoruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Gabriel Dessauer is a German Kantor, concert organist, and academic teacher. After studies with Diethard Hellmann and Franz Lehrndorfer, he was responsible for the church music at St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden, from 1981 to 2021, conducting the Chor von St. Bonifatius until 2018. Besides normal church services, he conducted them in regular masses with soloists and orchestra for Christmas and Easter and a yearly concert. In 1995 he prepared the choir for a memorial concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, performing Britten's War Requiem with choirs from countries involved in the war, and concerts in Wiesbaden and Macon, Georgia. Programs of choral concerts included Hermann Suter's Le Laudi in 1998, the German premiere of Rutter's Mass of the Children in 2004, and the world premiere of Colin Mawby's Bonifatiusmess in 2012 which he had commissioned for the choir's 150th anniversary. The concert of 2008, Vivaldi's Gloria and Haydn's Nelson Mass, was also performed at San Paolo dentro le Mura in Rome.
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Marga Schiml
- Occupations
- opera singeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Marga Schiml is a German opera singer who sings mezzo-soprano and alto. She has appeared at major European opera houses and festivals, such as the Vienna State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Hamburg State Opera and La Scala, at the Salzburg Festival and the Bayreuth Festival. She was also an academic voice teacher at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe from 1987 to 2011.
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Horst Laubenthal
- Occupations
- opera singersinger
- Biography
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Horst Laubenthal, real name Horst Neumaier, is a German operatic tenor and academic voice teacher. He is known internationally, both as an opera singer especially in Mozart roles such as Belmonte, Don Ottavio and Tamino, and as a concert and recital singer, with a focus on works by Johann Sebastian Bach. He has appeared at major opera houses and festivals, including the Glyndebourne Festival and the Salzburg Festival, and made many recordings, including rarely performed works such as Korngold's Violanta.
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Christian Brembeck
- Occupations
- pianistconductorharpsichordist
- Biography
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Christian Brembeck is a German conductor, organist and harpsichordist.
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Walter Courvoisier
- Occupations
- composerconductormusic educatoruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Walter Courvoisier was a Swiss composer.
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Joseph Pembaur the younger
- Occupations
- composerpianist
- Biography
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Josef Pembaur was an Austrian pianist and composer.
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Günter Jena
- Occupations
- choir directorconductorKirchenmusikdirektor
- Biography
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Günter Jena is a German choral conductor and musicologist. He was the director of church music at St. Michaelis in Hamburg from 1973 to 1997. He founded the festival Bach-Tage Hamburg, and provided music for ballet performances of choreographer John Neumeier at the Hamburg State Opera, including Bach's St Matthew Passion.
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Sonja Korkeala
- Occupations
- violinistartistic directoruniversity teachermusician
- Biography
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Sonja Korkeala is a Finnish violinist and professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.
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Nina Šenk
- Occupations
- composer
- Biography
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Nina Šenk is a classical Slovenian composer. In 2004, while still studying at the University of Ljubljana, she won first prize at the Young Euro Classic Festival in Berlin for her Violin Concerto No. 1. Her works have been performed at many music festivals and with various orchestras and ensembles around the world.
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Jason Barry-Smith
- Occupations
- opera singeropera vocal coach
- Biography
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Jason Barry-Smith is an Australian operatic baritone, vocal coach, composer, and arranger. He works with organisations such as Opera Queensland, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Seven Network, and the Queensland Youth Choir.
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Anush Nikogosyan
- Occupations
- violinist
- Biography
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Anush Nikogosyan is an Armenian classical violinist.
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David Dalton
- Occupations
- violinistviolist
- Biography
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David Johnson Dalton was an American violist, author, and professor emeritus at Brigham Young University (BYU). He graduated from Eastman School of Music in 1961 and received his doctorate in viola performance in 1970 at Indiana University School of Music under William Primrose. As a faculty member at BYU, Dalton's main contribution was the establishment of the Primrose International Viola Archive, the largest collection of viola music in the world. Dalton's other significant positions include editor of the Journal of the American Viola Society, president of the American Viola Society, and president of the International Viola Society.
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Benno Walter
- Occupations
- music educatorcomposer
- Biography
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Benno Walter was a German violinist and teacher, who had associations with Richard Strauss and his family, to whom he was closely related, and also with Richard Wagner.
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Dimitrios Lalas
- Occupations
- pianist
- Biography
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Dimitrios Stergios Lalas or Lallas was a significant Greek composer and musician.
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Giuseppe Buonamici
- Occupations
- pianistmusic educatorcomposer
- Biography
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Giuseppe Buonamici was an Italian composer, pianist and musicologist.
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Gerhard Merkl
- Occupations
- choir directorconductormusician
- Biography
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Gerhard Merkl was the Domkapellmeister at the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau from 2000 until 2016.
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Arthur Whiting
- Occupations
- composerpianist
- Biography
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Arthur Batelle Whiting was an American teacher, pianist, composer, and writer on music, known for his conservative compositional style, espousal of early music, and his long-running university lecture-recital series.
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Stanko Prek
- Occupations
- composerclassical guitaristguitaristmusic educator
- Biography
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Stanko Prek was a classical guitarist and composer from Slovenia.
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Georgios Nazos
- Years
- 1862-1934 (aged 72)
- Occupations
- music educator
- Biography
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George Nazos was a Greek music teacher and director of the Athens Conservatoire. He was from a well-known family from Tinos Island. He was recognized for his musical talent at a young age. In 1881 he went to Munich, German Empire to study piano and advanced theory, returning to Greece in 1886.
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Hugo Walter Voigtlander
- Years
- 1859-1933 (aged 74)
- Occupations
- violinistviola d'amore player
- Biography
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Hugo Walter Voigtlander was a German-American musician who played violin, viola, and viola d'amore. He was also an instrument maker, and a collector and arranger of viola d'amore music. As a youth he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipzig and played violin and viola in several professional orchestras in Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1885 where he spent ten years playing viola and viola d'amore with various professional chamber groups in and around Detroit, Michigan. He then spent two years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania playing in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and in 1897 moved to New York City, where he played in a number of professional orchestras. In addition to playing viola d'amore, Walter Voigtlander taught viola d'amore, and made and collected numerous arrangements for the instrument.
