Frank Petzold (born 1951) is a German composer, conductor and

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the Musical ...

. A composer of operas and other stage works, he has worked at theatres, from 1994 as

Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...

at the

Staatstheater Cottbus The Staatstheater Cottbus is the only state theatre of the German federal state of Brandenburg in Cottbus. It has its own ensemble presenting plays, operas, operettas, Musical theatre, musicals, orchestral concerts and ballet. The theatre had more ...

. He has lectured

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

and

jazz piano Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

at the

Brandenburgische Technische Universität The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (, BTU) was founded in 1991 and is a technical university in Brandenburg, Germany with campuses in Cottbus and Senftenberg. The university has 185 professors, 640 additional academic ...

in Cottbus from 2001.

Life

Petzold was born in

Zwickau Zwickau (; ) is the fourth-largest city of Saxony, Germany, after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, with around 88,000 inhabitants,. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ''Zwickauer Mulde''; progression: ), ...

in 1951. He took piano lessons from age nine. He studied composition, conducting and piano at the

Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden ' (, 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 ...

from 1968 to 1974, composition with Siegfried Köhler. From 1974 to 1977, he worked as

and choir director at the in Stendal. He also worked as Kapellmeister for plays at the

Theater Magdeburg Theater Magdeburg is the principal theatre organization in Magdeburg, Germany, the capital of the state Saxony-Anhalt. It was formed in 2004 with the merger of two theatres, the Theater der Landeshauptstadt (Theatre of the state capital) and the ' ...

from 1977 to 1979. From 1977 to 1981 he studied composition with

Rainer Kunad Rainer Kunad (24 October 1936, Chemnitz – 17 July 1995, Reutlingen) was a German conductor and composer, especially of opera. Life Kunad studied choir and ensemble conducting at the Dresden Conservatoire from 1955 to 1956 and then, until 1959 ...

at the

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector F ...

. He was a freelance composer and pianist in

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

and

Cottbus Cottbus () or (;) is a university city and the second-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after the state capital, Potsdam. With around 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the most populous city in Lusatia. Cottbus lies in the Sorbian ...

from 1981 to 1994, writing

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

orchestral music An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, a ...

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

, stage works and

jazz music 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, hymns, m ...

. Since 1990 he has been regional chairman of the in Cottbus. In 1994, he became Kapellmeister at the

, and held the position to 2001, when he became also lecturer for

and

at the

in Cottbus from 2011. Petzold is married; the couple has two sons.

Prize

Hans Stieber Prize The Hans Stieber Prize is a promotional prize for composers of serious and light music, which is awarded by the fiduciary trust ''Hans Stieber Foundation'' of the ''Landesverband Sachsen-Anhalt '' based in Halle (Saale). The name giver and dedic ...

for composition (1984)

Works

Stage works

* 1980/81: ''Das Kälberbrüten'', (Carnival play) after

Hans Sachs Hans Sachs (5 November 1494 – 19 January 1576) was a German ''Meistersinger'' ("mastersinger"), poetry, poet, playwright, and shoemaking, shoemaker. Biography Hans Sachs was born in Nuremberg (). As a child he attended a singing school that w ...

for soprano, tenor, bass and six instruments. premiere: 1982. * 1986/87: ''Prinzessin Zartfuß und die sieben Elefanten'',

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

in one act based on the play of the same name by

Albert Wendt Albert Tuaopepe Wendt (born 27 October 1939) is a Samoan poet and writer who lives in New Zealand. He is one of the most influential writers in Oceania. His notable works include ''Sons for the Return Home'', published in 1973 (adapted into a ...

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by the composer, premiere: Theater der Stadt Cottbus, 1989.

Other compositions

* 1990: ''Sinfonie in F'', premiered by the

Dresden Philharmonic The Dresdner Philharmonie (Dresden Philharmonic) is a German symphony orchestra based in Dresden. Its principal concert venue is the '' Kulturpalast''. The orchestra also performs at the Kreuzkirche and the Frauenkirche Dresden. It receive ...

Recordings

* ''Tritonia'' (2000) * ''Jazzterday Live'' (2005)

References

External links

* * German jazz pianists German choral conductors 20th-century German classical composers People from Zwickau {{DEFAULTSORT:Petzold, Frank 1951 births Living people

Life

Prize

Works

Stage works

Other compositions

Recordings

References

Further reading

External links