Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor.
Early life
Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in
Breslau,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
(now
Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
)
as Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a singer and teacher of piano, and Heribert Ringmann, a conductor and musicologist in Breslau and Posen. He was orphaned during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. His mother died giving birth to him. His father continued to conduct until the very end of 1943, when he conducted the Brahms Requiem in Breslau, before being inducted into the German army. He was killed by Russian forces in Thuringen in 1945. His grandmother cared for him, but she died in the winter of 1945/46 at a refugee camp in Mecklenburg. As a result of this trauma, Eschenbach did not speak for a year, until he was asked if he wanted to play music. Wallydore Eschenbach (née Jaross), his mother's cousin, adopted him in 1946 and began to teach him to play the piano from 1948 through 1959. He lived with Wallydore and her husband Wolfram Eschenbach in Wismar, then in
Neustadt in Holstein
Neustadt in Holstein (; Holsatian: ''Niestadt in Holsteen'') is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on the Bay of Lübeck 30 km northeast of Lübeck, and 50 km southeast of Kiel.
History
In World War ...
. At age 11, he attended a concert conducted by
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler ( , ; ; 25 January 188630 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is regarded as one of the greatest Symphony, symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a majo ...
which had a great impact on him. In 1955, Eschenbach enrolled at the
Musikhochschule in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, studying piano with Hans-Otto Schmidt-Neuhaus and conducting with
Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg. He also completed his ''
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
'' at the Einhard-Gymnasium in
Aachen
Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants.
Aachen is locat ...
in 1959. He then pursued studies at the
Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg
The Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg is one of the larger College or university school of music, universities of music in Germany.
It was founded in 1950 as ''Staatliche Hochschule für Musik'' (Public college of music) on the base of t ...
with Eliza Hansen (piano) and
Wilhelm Brückner-Rüggeberg (conducting).
Musical career
As a pianist, Eschenbach has won numerous first-place piano competition prizes, including first prize in the
Clara Haskil Competition in
Vevey
Vevey (; ; ) is a town in Switzerland in the Vaud, canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Leman, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used.
It was the seat of the Vevey (district), district of the same name until 200 ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in 1965. In 1964, he made his first recording (of
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
) for
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...
and signed a contract with the label. Eschenbach continued to study conducting with
George Szell, with whom he worked for more than three years. In addition, he counted
Herbert von Karajan as a mentor. As a pianist, he is particularly known for his Schubert and Mozart recordings, the latter often together with
Justus Frantz. With him as well as with
Tzimon Barto he played piano music for four hands or two grand pianos.
In 1981, Eschenbach became principal guest conductor of the
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and was chief conductor from 1982 to 1986. He was co-artistic director of the
Pacific Music Festival from 1992 to 1998. He was chief conductor of the
NDR Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg from 1998 to 2004. He was artistic director of the
Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival
The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) is a classical music festival held each summer throughout the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany.
History
The festival was founded in 1986 by German concert pianist and conductor Justus Fr ...
from 1999 until 2003, and became principal conductor of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra in 2003. From 2000 to 2010, Eschenbach was music director of the
Orchestre de Paris
The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris.
History
In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du ...
.
[David Patrick Stearns, "Eschenbach out of post in Paris". ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', 1 June 2007.]
In the United States, Eschenbach was music director of the
Houston Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1999. The orchestra toured Japan and Europe under his tenure as well made several recordings with Koch International Classics and RCA. In honour of his achievements and tenure with the Houston Symphony, the City of Houston placed a bronze commemorative star with his name in front of Jones Hall, the performance home of the Houston Symphony. He was music director of the
Ravinia Festival
Ravinia Festival is a primarily outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September in a wide variety of musical genres from classical to pop. The first orche ...
from 1994 to 2005.
Eschenbach has made more than 80 recordings as piano soloist, conductor, or both, has appeared in several television documentaries, and has made many concert broadcasts for different European, Japanese and U.S. networks. Eschenbach is credited with helping and supporting talented young musicians in their career development, including soprano
Renée Fleming
Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano and actress, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nom ...
, pianists
Tzimon Barto and
Lang Lang, cellists , and
Daniel Müller-Schott, and soprano Marisol Montalvo.
Philadelphia Orchestra
Eschenbach became the seventh music director of The
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...
in 2003. His appointment generated controversy because, at the time of the announcement, Eschenbach had not conducted the orchestra in over four years and there was a perceived lack of personal chemistry between him and the musicians prior to the appointment.
[Peter Dobrin, "Orchestra has some lessons to consider". ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', 29 October 2006.] One musician from the orchestra had stated, after the announcement:
: "'When this announcement was proclaimed after a half-hour meeting with us, there wasn't applause; there was criticism,' recalled a musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra. 'One member of the search committee got up and said, "You'll see, you'll like him."
'The orchestra was taken aback by the attitude because there was no meeting to verify what we thought,' the musician said. 'There was no chemistry with Eschenbach. He hasn't conducted us in four or five years and 20 to 30 persons had never played with him.'"
In a 2004 article, Eschenbach tried to downplay such statements, and noted his own particular style of interpretation:
: "I prefer to have flexible tempos and not be fixed. Quicker tempos tend to court superficiality."
Partway into his tenure, his initial 3-year contract was renewed to 2008.
However, in October 2006, the orchestra and Eschenbach announced that he would conclude his tenure in Philadelphia at the close of the 2007–2008 season. In the weeks prior to his departure, ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' music critics Peter Dobrin and David Patrick Stearns produced contrasting articles whether or not he should be retained, with Dobrin suggesting that Eschenbach should move on and Stearns arguing that Eschenbach should remain. Other harsh criticism of Eschenbach's tenure in Philadelphia has been aired.
Following the announcement, Dobrin in the ''Inquirer'' wrote that Eschenbach's tenure in Philadelphia has been difficult for many musicians:
: "In three seasons, Eschenbach and the orchestra have produced a handful of brilliant concerts. More often, though, his rehearsals and performances have elicited a long list of complaints from musicians: getting lost in the score at concerts; leading disorganized rehearsals and then asking for overtime; and insisting on a peculiar rushing and slowing of tempos."
The paper also cited a number of accomplishments including a new recording contract and the appointment of nine musicians, four of whom were principals. In addition, Eschenbach has received praise for his work in fund-raising for the orchestra.
Following the announcement and Dobrin's ''Inquirer'' article, The Philadelphia Orchestra Association posted a letter on its website, dated 27 October 2006, which also was sent by e-mail to orchestra patrons. A quote from this letter condemned Dobrin's criticism:
: "We, and many in the community, feel that in recent press coverage there have been personal attacks on Maestro Eschenbach, along with negative innuendo about his relationship with The Philadelphia Orchestra. ...These types of comments about Maestro Eschenbach and our orchestra are ridiculous, offensive and defamatory. Our entire orchestra family is profoundly disappointed when reporters report the news in such an ungracious way."
Dobrin, in turn, responded in a 29 October 2006 ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' article by quoting one of his 2001 ''Inquirer'' articles around the time of the Eschenbach announcement:
: "....let me quote from something I wrote in March 2001 that might be an important reminder about how we got to this dangerous place:
:: ''It hit many musicians like the dull thud of pragmatism, this decision in January to hire Eschenbach as the orchestra's seventh music director, starting in September 2003. At a meeting announcing the decision, players responded with silence. No applause, no excited stamping of feet. Silence. And then the resentment poured forth.''
:: ''One musician used the word "underwhelmed." Another said he felt "betrayed."...''
This contrasts with earlier reports of how the musicians "had input" in the choice of the previous Philadelphia music director,
Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist.
Biography
Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...
. In addition, the new orchestra president (as of 2006), James Undercofler, had spoken with orchestra musicians, and had told Eschenbach this summary of his discussions with them:
: "-that 80 percent of the musicians did not agree with his artistic interpretations;
: -that 80 percent of the musicians left concerts feeling great anger;
: -and that the orchestra was a "ticking time bomb."
In an article by Cragg Hines in the newspaper ''The
Washingtonian'' on 1 December 2009 Eschenbach was quoted:
: "They said there was a survey of the whole orchestra and more than 80 percent of the orchestra was against me. I asked the management 'was that true?' and was told, 'Yes, it's true.' It was not true at all. As I found out a little later, this survey never happened
..All of the musicians regretted very, very much that
twas reported like this."
In a 2007 article, Mark Swed of the ''Los Angeles Times'' has written about the Eschenbach/Philadelphia Orchestra situation:
: " is one of the world's finest musicians and widely recognized as such. He has ideas. He has sophisticated tastes. He is cosmopolitan. He is an exciting interpreter. Colleagues speak of him warmly, and he is a favorite accompanist for singers.....So what's wrong? Just about everything. It is well known that the orchestra opposed the hiring of Eschenbach. He hadn't conducted in Philadelphia for five years when the appointment was made, and a memo was leaked to the press with 75 players' signatures asking management to hold off any decision until the orchestra got a chance to work with him. From the beginning, the relationship started off on the wrong foot...But the Philadelphia orchestra has not been exactly transformed by Eschenbach. I've been hearing reports of players looking bored onstage. Audiences walk out during performances. Even two years ago, at my last visit to Verizon Hall, the atmosphere was palpably unpleasant."
In a June 2007 article, Stearns reported Eschenbach as commenting on the Philadelphia Orchestra management as follows:
: "The management in both cases
aris and Philadelphia I'm sorry to say, is amateurish"...."The management knows what I think ... it's not a secret".
In a July 2007 article, Dobrin emphasized that the problems in the Eschenbach/Philadelphia Orchestra relationship were not related to personality, but rather to musical quality:
: "While many refuse to believe it, the factor that has undermined Christoph Eschenbach's tenure is not personality. He's a lovely guy; he and the players have a cordial off-stage relationship. The problem is the music. If 80 percent of the musicians leave concerts angry – as Eschenbach told players that president James Undercofler had told him – that's corrosive to the music and the institution."
In August 2007, the orchestra announced extended guest-conducting periods for Eschenbach with the ensemble in the 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 seasons, after the conclusion of his tenure as music director.
Later career
In September 2008, the
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930 by cellist Hans Kindler, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The NSO regularly ...
(NSO) appointed Eschenbach as its sixth music director, effective with the 2010–2011 season, as well as the newly created music director of the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
. In September 2011, the NSO and the Kennedy Center announced the extension of Eschenbach's contract through the 2014–2015 season. In March 2014, the organisations announced an extension of Eschenbach's contract through the 2016–2017 season. In February 2015, the NSO announced that Eschenbach was to conclude his tenure as NSO music director at the end of the 2016–2017 season. Eschenbach subsequently took the title of conductor laureate of the NSO. Moreover, he has been honorary conductor of the
Bamberg Symphony since 2016.
In November 2017, the
Konzerthausorchester Berlin announced the appointment of Eschenbach as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019–2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. In July 2021, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin announced the extension of Eschenbach's contract through the 2022–2023 season. He stood down from the Konzerthausorchester Berlin post at the close of the 2022–2023 season.
In January 2022, the
Copenhagen Philharmonic announced the appointment of Eschenbach as its ''æres-gæstedirigent'' (honorary guest conductor), for a period of two seasons, following his debut with the orchestra in the autumn of 2021. In January 2024, the National Forum of Music (NFM) in Wrocław announced the appointment of Eschenbach as its next artistic director, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons.
Honours and awards
* 1990:
Federal Cross of Merit
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
1st Class
* 1993: Pacific Music Festival, Leonard Bernstein Award
* August 2002: Knight Commander's Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
* October 2002: ''
Legion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
'' of France
* June 2006: ''
Chevalier'' (knight) of the French ''
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...
''
* 2010:
Order of Merit of Schleswig-Holstein
* 2015:
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Opus 3 Artists agency page on Christoph Eschenbach
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eschenbach, Chrisoph
1940 births
Living people
German classical pianists
German male classical pianists
German male conductors (music)
20th-century German conductors (music)
20th-century German male musicians
21st-century German conductors (music)
21st-century German male musicians
Musicians from Wrocław
Texas classical music
Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Knights of the Legion of Honour
Grammy Award winners
Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg alumni
Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln alumni
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize winners
Deutsche Grammophon artists
Music directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Music directors of the National Symphony Orchestra
Music directors of the Houston Symphony
Music directors of the Orchestre de Paris
Chief conductors of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Chief conductors of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra