Falko Steinbach (born 30 September 1957 in Aachen, West Germany) is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

/ American pianist, composer and piano pedagogue. As a

Steinway Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in New York City by German piano builder Henry E. Steinway, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth le ...

Artist, Steinbach is described as an expert in the classical repertory, and a specialist in

contemporary music Contemporary music is whatever music is produced at the current time. Specifically, it could refer to: Genres or audiences * Adult contemporary music * British contemporary R&B * Christian adult contemporary * Christian contemporary hit radio * Con ...

. In 1999, he joined the music faculty at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...

and became a full professor of piano in 2010. He was granted US citizenship in 2011, and now as a

dual national Multiple citizenship (or multiple nationality) is a person's legal status in which a person is at the same time recognized by more than one country under its nationality and citizenship law as a national or citizen of that country. There is no ...

continues an extended international performance career as a soloist, recording artist and collaborative performer in America, Europe and Asia. He is a noted teacher of piano and composition, and author of several significant pedagogical works including an acclaimed volume on piano methodology, “A Compendium of Piano Technique”.A Compendium of Piano Technique
falkosteinbach.com He is frequently invited to give lectures, master classes, and recitals at international music festivals, academic conferences, and universities worldwide, and to act as judge for national and international piano competitions.

Biography

Childhood and education

Steinbach was born in Aachen and is the eldest of four children. His father, Dr. Hans Horst Steinbach, was a chemist and researcher who married Martha Gawellek, a chemical technical assistant who left her career to become a full-time homemaker shortly after their marriage. Dr H. H. Steinbach accepted a position with the

Bayer Bayer AG (English: , commonly pronounced ; ) is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies and biomedical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Bayer' ...

Corporation as a researcher and inventor when his son was two years old, and the family relocated to

Leverkusen Leverkusen () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the south, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne, and to the north the state capital, Düsseldorf. The city is part of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan ...

for the next three years. They then took up a more permanent residence in nearby

Bergisch Gladbach Bergisch Gladbach () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district). Geography Bergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and abo ...

, Schildgen where the young Steinbach would attend elementary school after age five. The elder Steinbach became a talented and successful chemist, and developed hundreds of patented chemical compounds, solutions, and lubricants as a researcher with Bayer, and his career, which extended beyond Germany to South Africa and South America, brought the family into contact with diverse cultural influences. Steinbach's father, a pianist and violin player, became his first music teacher at age four. At age six, he began to study with Grete Selle in Leverkusen, and by age seven, he began to compose small

minuets A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually written in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that ...

and other pieces in the style of

W. A. 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 ...

. Steinbach was enrolled in the Freiherr vom Steim Gymnasium at age ten, and at twelve years of age, he composed his first three-movement

sonatina A sonatina (French: “sonatine”, German: “Sonatine") is a small sonata. As a musical term, ''sonatina'' has no single strict definition; it is rather a title applied by the composer to a piece that is in basic sonata form, but is shorter and ...

for violin and piano under the supervision of his music instructor, Manfred Klink. That same year, Steinbach gave his first public performance as a piano soloist in Horrem near

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 ...

.https://falkosteinbach.com/profile/biography/ Before he was even eighteen years old, Steinbach was appointed choir director at the Catholic Parish, Herz Jesu Schlidgen in Bergisch-Gladbach by his mentor Dr. Paul Adenauer, son of the first Chancellor of the BRD Konrad Adenauer. He gained notoriety as conductor, performer and composer of several masses and a piano concerto.Curriculum Vitae
falkosteinbach.com While working in this capacity, Steinbach concurrently attended the Rheinische Musikschule in Cologne where he studied theory and composition with Georg Kröll. He won first prize in the 1976 “Jugend musiziert” Piano Competition in Bergisch-Gladbach, and before his graduation from the Gymnasium later that year, he became a “ Jungstudent” at the Musikhochschule Köln. He was a teaching assistant to his performance instructor,

Prof. Tiny Wirtz Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a 'person who professes'. Professors ...

, during his first year in the program, and completed the MM with distinction, followed by the Konzertexamen (a degree equivalent to the

DMA DMA may refer to: Arts * ''DMA'' (magazine), a defunct dance music magazine * Dallas Museum of Art, in Texas, US * BT Digital Music Awards, an annual event in the UK * Danish Music Awards * Detroit Music Awards * Doctor of musical arts, a degree ...

) in solo performance studies. From 1986 to 1987, Steinbach pursued advanced postgraduate studies in solo piano performance at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

in London, and while there was a student of Craig Sheppard and assistant to

Peter Feuchtwanger Peter Bernhard Feuchtwanger (26 June 1930 – 18 June 2016)Tatjana Nikolajewa,

Boris Pergamenschikov Boris may refer to: People * Boris (given name), a male given name * *List of people with given name Boris * Boris (surname) Arts and media * Boris (band), a Japanese experimental rock trio * ''Boris'' (EP), by Yezda Urfa, 1975 * "Boris" (son ...

, Members of the

Amadeus Quartet The Amadeus Quartet was a string quartet founded in 1947 and disbanded in 1987, having retained its founding members throughout its history. Noted for its smooth, sophisticated style, its seamless ensemble playing, and its sensitive interpretat ...

, and later with

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (; 28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012) was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music. One of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, he is best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's ...

in 1991. His time in London was one of the most significant experiences in his musical life.

Performer, composer and teacher

Steinbach's performance career since the 1980s has included solo recitals, as well as collaborative performances with other soloists, chamber ensembles, and orchestras in the United States, Europe, and Asia.Performer
falkosteinbach.com He is regularly invited to perform at international music festivals, and in addition to giving approximately thirty concerts each year he continues to be an active recording artist of repertory extending from Bach to contemporary piano music. Steinbach has been critically acclaimed for his individual and deeply philosophical ‘metaphysical’ approach to his craft. He is a passionate promoter of new music, and frequently premieres new works, many of which are written for, and dedicated to him in lecture recitals. He has recorded over fifteen albums of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary music with

Ambitus In ancient Roman law, ''ambitus'' was a crime of political corruption, mainly a candidate's attempt to influence the outcome (or direction) of an election through bribery or other forms of soft power. The Latin word ''ambitus'' is the origin of ...

, Edition Antes,

Centaur Records Centaur Records is one of the oldest and largest independent classical labels in America. The company is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was founded by Victor Sachse in 1976. Centaur's catalog includes classical, historical, pops, contemp ...

and Navona Records, and has also completed recordings for the

WDR WDR may refer to: * Waddell & Reed (stock ticker: WDR), an American asset management and financial planning company * Walt Disney Records, an American record label of the Disney Music Group * WDR neuron, a type of neuron involved in pain signalli ...

and NDR radio broadcasters. He has also appeared on German, Malaysian, and US radio and television as a performer, and scholarly expert in the field. Within his extensive catalog are the first recordings of many of the works of Hans Eisler, P. Dessau, and

Kurt Schwaen Kurt Schwaen (June 21, 1909 in Katowice – October 9, 2007 in Berlin) was a German composer. Professional career Schwaen studied piano, organ and composition under Fritz Lubrich. From 1929 to 1933 he studied at the universities of Berlin ...

, as well as his own works and those of many other composers. Steinbach's artistry is also, in his terms, driven by a proactive engagement with humanitarian programs working against discrimination. In addition to numerous benefit concert performances, proceeds from his album, “Klassik für Menschenrechte” listing works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Bartók, were donated to the Casa Alianza Children's Aid of Guatemala, and

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

. Similarly proceeds from the album, “Humanity Classics,” financed by the Landschaftsverband Rheinland and featuring piano concertos by Mozart and Schnittke, were donated to the recovery and treatment of the women victimized by the Soviet-era Bulgarian treatment facility, Malko Scharkovo. From the time of his early studies, Steinbach was most interested in performing and only in his teenage years did he begin to focus on composition studies with greater concentration. By the time he was twenty-four years of age, he opted to formally study theory and composition at the Musikhochschule Köln with Prof. Manfred Reiter, and Prof. Roland Löbner. He completed his first serious piece, “Suite in Three Movements” for piano in 1982,Compositions
falkosteinbach.com and shortly after completed his theory studies to earn a

Staatsexamen The ("state examination" or "exam by state"; pl.: ''Staatsexamina'') is a German government licensing examination that future physicians, dentists, physical therapists, teachers, research librarians, archivists, pharmacists, food chemists, psyc ...

(equivalent to a modern“

Bachelor's Degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

). He has since continued to develop his compositional process using unique approaches to

dodecaphony The twelve-tone technique—also known as dodecaphony, twelve-tone serialism, and (in British usage) twelve-note composition—is a method of musical composition. The technique is a means of ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale ...

, rotational systems and set class transformation, points of symmetrical inversion, stylistic synthesis, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

-influenced patterns and rhythms. Steinbach believes that “to study composition with a teacher is a contradiction in itself. Nowadays it is absurd to talk about tonality or atonality. Both terms are redundant if you perceive music through rotational systems, movement and emotions. There are no rules and fashions for me.” His oeuvre encompasses almost fifty compositions, including one opera entitled “Berlin Suite,” the church music cycle “Apocalypse,” numerous major cycles for choir and various ensembles, piano ensembles and noted cycles of etudes and other works for solo piano. Many of his compositions are commissioned works such as his “Agnes Mass” (2002) written for the 100th anniversary of the Church of St. Agnes in Cologne, and "Mystic Circle" for small ensemble (2013), an homage to

Igor Strawinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

written for the

John Donald Robb John Donald Robb (June 12, 1892 – January 6, 1989) was an American composer, ethnomusicologist, arts administrator, and attorney. Biography Early life A symphony concert in his hometown of Minneapolis when he was a pre-teen inspired Robb to ...

Composer Symposium in 2013. Steinbach is recognized worldwide for his “inexhaustible fantasy,” his “mesmerizing sound” and his sharp understanding of the possibilities of playing piano and understanding its physical, spiritual and mental aspects. His work emphasizes the careful production of tone quality in all musical contexts, and in particular, the relationship between movements and the sounds they produce; with respect to his unique approach to piano music, he explains “sound is the gate to our emotions – you can see the sound and hear the movements performed on the piano” in these works. Steinbach has spent much of his composition, performing and teaching career exploring the effects of both listening to, and performing music on human sensory process and

cognition Cognition is the "mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses". It encompasses all aspects of intellectual functions and processes such as: perception, attention, thought, ...

. In relation to these insights, one finds in his works unique and thoughtful attention to aspects of sound, space, time, and physical movements both in surface details, and within the larger structure of many works, such as those found in his cycles of etudes. His largest etude cycle, “Figures” has been the subject of two doctoral dissertations. The first, "The Interdependence of Movement and Sound in all Aspects of Piano in Falko Steinbach's "Figures"- 17 Choreographic Etudes for Piano (2006.)" was published in 2010 by Taiwanese pianist, Shu Ching Cheng, at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

. The second, "A Structural Analysis for Performers: Falko Steinbach's "Figures: 17 Choreographic Etudes for Piano," was published in 2012 by American pianist, Alexander Schwarzkopf at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. Steinbach's passion and dedication for both artistic and pedagogic work are reflected in his 53 piano etudes “Figures,” “Moving,” “Finger Paintings,” “Mirror Visions,” and “Etude 53,” and in his comprehensive text, “A Compendium of Piano Technique.” The methods presented in these works provide guidance for students at beginning, intermediate, and advanced skill level, and because of the breadth and consistency of his approach, his students are among the noted performers in the state of New Mexico, and the surrounding region;News Archive
many of these students have achieved professional and academic positions, scholarships, grants, and prizes at piano competitions and universities. Steinbach has given master courses at universities and music festivals in Germany, Italy, The United States, Mexico, Taiwan and Malaysia and has acted as a juror for many national and international piano competitions.

Honorary activities

Steinach co-founded the Initiative for the Enrichment of Culture to benefit and promote musicians, composers and artists in 1987 in

Hückeswagen Hückeswagen () is a town in the north of Oberbergischen Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the governmental district of Cologne. Geography Hückeswagen is situated on the river Wupper. Two dams, Bevertal dam and Wupperta ...

, Germany, and was a member of the board of directors for several years after. He then co-founded an association for contemporary music, Klang Köln e.V., in 1991, and, was acting chair and associate chair until 2000. While a member of this organization, he performed, and made recordings with many noted performers and singers including Francoise Groben, Tina von Altenstadt,

Anne Schwanewilms Anne Schwanewilms (born 1967, in Gelsenkirchen) is a German soprano who sings Lyric, Spinto, and Dramatic Soprano roles. She studied gardening before training in Cologne as a singer with the German bass Hans Sotin. She is particularly associated ...

and Marlene Mild, and worked with fellow composers, Christoph Maria Wagner, Stefan Thomas, Oliver Trötschel and Thomas Reiner. He was artistic director of the Tage Neuer Musik, 2001 In

Brauweiler Brauweiler is a part of Pulheim, west of Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The former Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic ...

, Germany, and was also the artistic director for The "Streams" Music Festival in 2010 and 2013, which featured numerous contemporary composers including Maurizio Kagel,

, Barbara Rettagliati, Massimo Berzolla, Martin Christoph Redel, Alexander Litvinowski, Christopher Shultis and others. Since 2004, he has been a board member of der Abtei Brauweiler Concert Series, and in 2009 he founded the " Internationales Klavierfestival Lindlar" near Cologne. He is the current artistic director for this festival, which has become a significant and highly acclaimed cultural event in the region.

Achievements and recognition

In 1986 Steinbach was awarded a

DAAD scholarship The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; ), founded in 1925, is a joint organization of German universities and student bodies to foster their international relations. Since 1 January 2020, the president has been Joybrato Mukherjee. Organisa ...

from the German government to fund his advanced studies in England. He received two grants in 1997 and 1998 from the Stiftung Kunst und Kultur of the state

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

to produce the album, “Six Take,” as well as “Lieder aus dem Exil,” a WDR produced CD with soprano Marlene Mild. In 1999 he received a grant from The University of New Mexico to translate his German-language volume on piano technique, “Klaviertechnisches Kompendium,” into English, and in 2006 he received another UNM grant to publish his etude cycle, “Figures” – 17 Choreographic Etudes for Piano.” He received grants in 2008, including a RAC grant from UNM, to publish his recording of "Figures" with Centaur Records. The "Internationales Klavierfestival Lindlar", which he founded received the "Student Abroad Funding" award of the University of New Mexico in 2014. Steinbach is a member of GEMA. Verlag Edmund Bieler, Cologne, currently publishes his compositions.

Personal life

He currently lives with his second wife Emily and his three children Tankred Noel, Ronja Magdalena and Sebastian Miles in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. and in Lindlar, Germany. Steinbach is fan of association football and is an avid supporter of the Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Compositions

List of CD recordings

Radio productions

World premieres

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Steinbach, Falko German pianists German composers 1957 births Living people Musicians from Aachen 20th-century American pianists American male pianists 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians