Wolfgang Karius
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Karius is a German conductor
, organ
ist and harpsichord
ist.
.
He attended the Hochschule für Musik Köln
where he studied organ under Wolfgang Stockmeier and Michael Schneider and the harpsichord under Hugo Ruf
. After completing his studies in Cologne
, he went to receive further education in Paris through a scholarship provided by the Government of France
. Most of these studies were in the area of French organ music with Marie-Claire Alain
and Jean Langlais
. He pursued further master-classes in Baroque performance practice
with Luigi Tagliavini, Anton Heiller
and Kenneth Gilbert
, and master-classes in conducting with Kurt Thomas
and Sergiu Celibidache
. He made further graduate studies in musicology
and Romanistik studies at the University of Cologne
.
After working as a church musician for many years, Karius took the position as organist, cantor
, and choral conductor at the Annakirche in Aachen
in 1983. In doing so he became the conductor of the Annakirche's internationally renowned oratorio
choir, Aachener Bachverein
. He led the ensemble up until 2008 during which time he toured with the choir throughout Western
and Eastern Europe
, Canada, Israel
, and Lebanon
. He has also made several radio appearances and CD recordings both as an organist and with the Aachener Bachverein for Erato
, SFPP, Schwann
and Electrola
.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
ist and harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist.
Biography
Karius was born at GummersbachGummersbach
Gummersbach is a city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, being the district seat of the Oberbergischer Kreis. It is located 50 km east of Cologne. In the past it was nicknamed "the Lime Tree Town", because lime trees lined the main street...
.
He attended the Hochschule für Musik Köln
Hochschule für Musik Köln
The Cologne University of Music is a music college in Cologne, and Germany's largest academy of music.-History:The academy was founded by Ferdinand Hiller in 1850 as Conservatorium der Musik in Coeln...
where he studied organ under Wolfgang Stockmeier and Michael Schneider and the harpsichord under Hugo Ruf
Hugo Ruf (musician)
Hugo Ruf was an influential German harpsichordist, music pedagogue and a pioneer of Early Music Revival in Germany. He is noted in particular for his recordings of music by Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach...
. After completing his studies in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, he went to receive further education in Paris through a scholarship provided by the Government of France
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
. Most of these studies were in the area of French organ music with Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Alain is a French organist and organ teacher best known for her prolific recording career. She is particularly known for her ability to perform substantial works entirely from memory.-Background and education:...
and Jean Langlais
Jean Langlais
Jean Langlais was a French composer of modern classical music, organist, and improviser.- Biography :Jean Langlais was born in La Fontenelle , a small village near Mont St Michel, France...
. He pursued further master-classes in Baroque performance practice
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach in the performance of music and theater. Within this approach, the performance adheres to state-of-the-art knowledge of the aesthetic criteria of the period in which the music or theatre work was conceived...
with Luigi Tagliavini, Anton Heiller
Anton Heiller
Anton Heiller was an Austrian organist, harpsichordist, composer, conductor.-Biography:Heiller was born at Vienna. After undergoing his initial church music training with Wilhelm Mück — organist at the Stephansdom Anton Heiller (September 15, 1923 — March 25, 1979) was an Austrian organist,...
and Kenneth Gilbert
Kenneth Gilbert
Kenneth Gilbert, OC is a Canadian harpsichordist, organist, musicologist and music educator.Gilbert was trained at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal where he was a pupil of Yvonne Hubert and Gabriel Cusson . He also studied the organ privately with Conrad Letendre in Montréal...
, and master-classes in conducting with Kurt Thomas
Kurt Thomas (composer)
Kurt Thomas was a German composer, conductor and music educator.He was born in Tönning and died in Bad Oeynhausen....
and Sergiu Celibidache
Sergiu Celibidache
- Biography :Celibidache was born in Roman, Romania, and began his studies in music with the piano, after which he studied music, philosophy and mathematics in Bucharest, Romania and then in Paris...
. He made further graduate studies in musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
and Romanistik studies at the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
.
After working as a church musician for many years, Karius took the position as organist, cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
, and choral conductor at the Annakirche in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
in 1983. In doing so he became the conductor of the Annakirche's internationally renowned oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
choir, Aachener Bachverein
Aachener Bachverein
Aachener Bachverein is a German oratorio choir of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland in the city of Aachen that was founded in 1913 by Heinrich Boell...
. He led the ensemble up until 2008 during which time he toured with the choir throughout Western
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, Canada, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. He has also made several radio appearances and CD recordings both as an organist and with the Aachener Bachverein for Erato
Erato Records
Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 to promote French classical music. In 1992 it became part of Warner Bros. Records. In 1999 Erato launched a subsidiary Detour Records....
, SFPP, Schwann
Schwann
Schwann may refer to:*The Schwann cell*Theodor Schwann, a German physiologist, histologist and cytologist*Schwann Records, a German record label...
and Electrola
Electrola
Electrola was a record label founded in Berlin in 1925 by the Gramophone Company. In March 1931 Electrola, along with its parent label and Carl Lindström Company parent Columbia Graphophone Company, merged to form the Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. . The German EMI unit was first called...
.