
Christian Ehwald (born 1953 in
Eberswalde
Eberswalde () is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in the German State ( Bundesland / ''federated state'') of Brandenburg, about 50 km northeast of Berlin. Population 42,144 (census in June 2005), geograph ...
) is a German conductor and academic teacher.
Life
Ehwald studied at the
Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler"
' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...
with the conductor
Horst Förster from 1973 to 1978. Later, he continued his studies at the
Saint Petersburg Conservatory ''N.A. Rimsky Korssakov'' with
Arvid Jansons and
Mariss Jansons
Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian conductor best known for his interpretations of Mahler, Strauss and Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich. During his lifetime he was ...
.
From 1981 until 1988, he was principal conductor of the
Jena Philharmonic
The Jenaer Philharmonie is a German symphony orchestra based in Jena, Germany.
History
The orchestra was founded in 1934 with the intent to revive and continue the old traditions of the "Collegium musicum Jenense" and the academic concerts by the ...
.
From 1981, he was guest conductor among others with the
Berliner Philharmoniker
The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world.
History
The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...
, the
Staatskapelle Dresden
The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly r ...
, the symphony orchestras of the Bavarian Radio, the West German Radio and the Central German Radio, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the Petersburg Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and many others.
From 1998 to 2002, he was music director at the
Opera House Magdeburg and chief conductor of the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2002, he received an appointment at the
Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler"
' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...
and at the same time took over the direction of the university orchestra.
His students won several 1st prizes at important international competitions:
* 4.
Bamberger Symphoniker#Dirigentenwettbewerb 2013:
Lahav Shani
Lahav Shani ( he, להב שני; born 7 January 1989, Tel Aviv) is an Israeli conductor and pianist.
Biography
Shani is the son of Michael Shani, a choral conductor. He began piano lessons at age 6 with Hannah Shalgi. He continued his piano st ...
* 5.
Gustav-Mahler-Wettbewerb der Bamberger Symphoniker 2016:
Wong Kah Chun
* 6. International Conducting Competition Sir Georg Solti 2012: Lin Day
* 56.
International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors The International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors, is a music competition for young conductors in the city of Besançon, France.
History
The competition was organized for the first time in 1951 by the music and film critic and composer ...
2019: Nodoka Okisawa
* 9. Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition 2006: Michal Dworzynski
* 4. Jorma Panula Conducting Competition 2009: Yordan Kamdzhalov
* 18.
Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting The Tokyo International Music Competition is a music competition held in Tokyo, Japan. It has been organized by Min-On Concert Association. Competitions have been held in the three areas of conducting, singing, and chamber music, and competitions in ...
2018: Nodoka Okisawa
* 9.
Deutscher Dirigentenpreis
The German Conducting Award (GCA) (formerly Deutscher Dirigentenpreis) is an international competition for concert and opera conducting and serves to promote young conductors of all nations who are younger than 33 years of age.
History of the ...
2013:
Kristiina Poska
Kristiina Poska (born 12 July 1978, Türi, Estonia) is an Estonian conductor.
Biography
At age eight, Poska began piano lessons. She graduated from Türi Music School in piano studies in 1994, and then studied choral conducting at the Georg ...
Ehwald has worked frequently with the
Staatsoper Berlin
The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...
and the
Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics.
History
The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'')
The f ...
Leipzig Orchestra]and has toured with the
Berlin Staatskapelle
The Staatskapelle Berlin () is a German orchestra and the resident orchestra of the Berlin State Opera, Unter den Linden. The orchestra is one of the oldest in the world. Until the fall of the German Empire in 1918 the orchestra's name was ''Kön ...
to England, Australia and New Zealand. He has conducted various television productions among others with the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra Rome, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the Zagreb Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Between 2008 and 2014, Ehwald was also
music director
A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the ...
of the
Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra
Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra () is a symphony orchestra based in and supported by the municipality of Shenzhen, China. It was established in 1982 and is led by General Manager Chen Chuansong.
Since 1987, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra has annually t ...
, China.
Ehwald is married to musicologist Tatjana Ehwald. They have two daughters: music journalist Mascha Drost and pianist Natalia Ehwald.
Awards
* 1979: 3rd prize at the 6th Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition
* 2000: Wagner production of the year for the ''Walküre'' in Magdeburg (director: Christian Kube) of the magazine ''
Opernwelt
''Opernwelt'' (''Opera World'') is a monthly German magazine for opera, operetta and ballet. It includes news about current performances, portraits of composers and performers, articles about opera house
An opera house is a theater (structure) ...
''.
* 2005:
Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik ("German Record Critics' Award") was established in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of setting the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" in the field ...
3/2005 und of the
Pizzicato (magazine)
''Pizzicato'' is a magazine formerly published monthly in Luxembourg by Artevents Ltd., devoted to classical music. Since 2013 it is an Internet only magazine with daily udpates. It is now published by Orkite a.s.b.l The magazine contains news, fe ...
9/2005 für die Gesamteinspielung der Violinkonzerte by
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as ...
with Torsten Jannicke.
* 2015: Ehrendirigent des Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra
Ehrendirigent des Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra
/ref>
Recordings
* Aram Khachaturian
Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armeni ...
, ''Cellokonzert e-Moll'', with Xenia Jankovic
Xenia Jankovic (born 26 October 1958) is a Serbian-Russian cellist.
Biography
Jankovic was born in Niš Serbia into a Serbian–Russian family of musicians. The cello soon became her instrument of choice and she made her debut with the Belgrade ...
(violoncello), RTS Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductors Christian Ehwald and Dejan Savic. Calliope Records 2020.
* Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as ...
: ''Violinkonzerte 1–3'', Magdeburgische Philharmonie, conductor: Christian Ehwald, soloist: Torsten Jannicke. Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm 2005.
* ''MUSIC for you: Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...
• Dvořák • Fibich • Grieg • Khachaturian Khachaturian, Khachaturyan, Khachadurian or Khachatourian ( hy, Խաչատուրյան) is an Armenian surname meaning "cross bearer". People with the name include the following:
* Leon Khachatourian (born 1936), Iranian Armenian boxer
* Aram Khach ...
• Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
• Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
• Smetana • Suk • Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most pop ...
'', , direction Christian Ehwald; Opus 1990.
* Jaan Rääts: ''Sinfonie Nr. 8 Op. 74'', Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hun ...
: ''Konzert für Orchester''. Magdeburgische Philharmonie, conductor: Christian Ehwald. Antes Edition 2003.
* ''Wort und Musik. Tschernobyl-Konzert in der Philharmonie Berlin. Zum 20. Jahrestag'', with Therese Affolter, Christian Brückner, Thomas Quasthoff
Thomas Quasthoff (born 9 November 1959) is a German bass-baritone. Quasthoff has a range of musical interest from Bach cantatas, to lieder, and solo jazz improvisations. Born with severe birth defects caused by thalidomide, Quasthoff is , and has ...
, the Scharoun Ensemble Berlin, Sinfonieorchester der Hochschule für Musik ''Hanns Eisler'' Berlin, conductor: Christian Ehwald. IPNNW 2006.
* Alexander von Zemlinsky
Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher.
Biography
Early life
Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfather, Anton S ...
: ''Lyrische Sinfonie''. Bella Musica 2001.
References
External links
*
*
Christian Ewald auf der Website der Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ehwald, Christian
German conductors (music)
Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin
1953 births
Living people
People from Eberswalde