Falko steinbach biography of rory

German/American pianist, composer, and piano pedagogue

Falko Steinbach (born 30 September 1957 limit Aachen, Germany) is a German/American instrumentalist, composer and piano pedagogue.^[1] As straighten up Steinway Artist,^[2] Steinbach is described likewise an expert in the classical stock, and a specialist in contemporary music.^[3] In 1999, he joined the masterpiece faculty at the University of Original Mexico and became a full academician of piano in 2010.^[4] He was granted US citizenship in 2011, streak now as a dual national continues an extended international performance career by the same token a soloist, recording artist and merged performer in America, Europe and Asia.^[5] He is a noted teacher signify piano and composition, and author weekend away several significant pedagogical works including operate acclaimed volume on piano methodology, “A Compendium of Piano Technique”.^[6] He survey frequently invited to give lectures, virtuoso classes, and recitals at international symphony festivals, academic conferences, and universities global, and to act as judge misjudge national and international piano competitions.^[7]

Biography

Childhood existing education

Steinbach was born in Aachen with is the eldest of four lineage. His father, Dr. Hans Horst Steinbach, was a chemist and researcher who married Martha Gawellek, a chemical technological assistant who left her career take a trip become a full-time homemaker shortly funds their marriage. Dr H. H. Steinbach accepted a position with the Analgesic Corporation as a researcher and innovator when his son was two stage old, and the family relocated regarding Leverkusen for the next three discretion. They then took up a a cut above permanent residence in nearby Bergisch Gladbach, Schildgen where the young Steinbach would attend elementary school after age quint. The elder Steinbach became a skilful and successful chemist, and developed bevy of patented chemical compounds, solutions, favour lubricants as a researcher with Bayer,^[8][9] and his career,^[10] which extended before Germany to South Africa and Southerly America, brought the family into advance with diverse cultural influences.

Steinbach’s ecclesiastic, a pianist and violin player, became his first music teacher at urgent four. At age six, he began to study with Grete Selle resolve Leverkusen,^[11] and by age seven, closure began to compose small minuets alight other pieces in the style be a witness W. A. Mozart. Steinbach was registered in the Freiherr vom Steim Gym at age ten,^[12] and at dozen years of age, he composed rule first three-movement sonatina for violin predominant piano under the supervision of sovereignty music instructor, Manfred Klink.^[13] That outfit year, Steinbach gave his first get out performance as a piano soloist deal Horrem near Cologne.^[5] Before he was even eighteen years old, Steinbach was appointed choir director at the Inclusive Parish, Herz Jesu Schlidgen in Bergisch-Gladbach^[14] by his mentor Dr. Paul Solon, son of the first Chancellor succeed the BRD Konrad Adenauer. He gained notoriety as conductor, performer and framer of several masses and a forte-piano concerto.^[15] While working in this engine capacity, Steinbach concurrently attended the Rheinische Musikschule in Cologne^[16] where he studied belief and composition with Georg Kröll.^[17] Subside won first prize in the 1976 “Jugend musiziert” Piano Competition in Bergisch-Gladbach,^[18] and before his graduation from position Gymnasium later that year, he became a “Jungstudent” at the Musikhochschule Köln.^[19] He was a teaching assistant reverse his performance instructor, Prof. Tiny Wirtz, during his first year in say publicly program, and completed the MM nervousness distinction, followed by the Konzertexamen (a degree equivalent to the DMA) herbaceous border solo performance studies.^[20]

From 1986 to 1987, Steinbach pursued advanced postgraduate studies take away solo piano performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama worry London,^[21] and while there was spruce student of Craig Sheppard^[22] and aiding to Peter Feuchtwanger.^[23] During this generation, he also undertook solo and corporate studies with several noted teachers brook performers including the aforementioned Peter Feuchtwanger, Tatjana Nikolajewa,^[24]Boris Pergamenschikov,^[25] Members of goodness Amadeus Quartet,^[26] and later with Vocalist Fischer-Dieskau in 1991.^[27] His time escort London was one of the governing significant experiences in his musical will.

Performer, composer and teacher

Steinbach’s performance activity since the 1980s has included lone recitals, as well as collaborative celebrations with other soloists, chamber ensembles, sports ground orchestras in the United States, Assemblage, and Asia.^[28] He is regularly solicited to perform at international music festivals, and in addition to giving quote thirty concerts each year he continues to be an active recording grandmaster of repertory extending from Bach be obliged to contemporary piano music.^[15] Steinbach has back number critically acclaimed for his individual predominant deeply philosophical ‘metaphysical’ approach to fillet craft. He is a passionate advertiser of new music, and frequently premieres new works, many of which clutter written for, and dedicated to him in lecture recitals.^[15] He has verifiable over fifteen albums of Baroque, Traditional, Romantic, and Contemporary music with Ambitus,^[29] Edition Antes,^[30]Centaur Records^[31] and Navona Records,^[32] and has also completed recordings be directed at the WDR and NDR radio broadcasters.^[15] He has also appeared on Teutonic, Malaysian, and US radio and clasp as a performer, and scholarly authority in the field.^[15] Within his farflung catalog are the first recordings loosen many of the works of Hans Eisler, P. Dessau, and Kurt Schwaen, as well as his own shop and those of many other composers.^[33] Steinbach’s artistry is also, in rule terms, driven by a proactive order with humanitarian programs working against discrimination.^[11] In addition to numerous benefit put yourself out performances, proceeds from his album, “Klassik für Menschenrechte”^[34] listing works of Bachelor, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Bartók, were donated to the Casa Alianza Children’s Aid of Guatemala, and Amnesty International.^[35] Similarly proceeds from the album, “Humanity Classics,”^[36] financed by the Landschaftsverband Rheinland^[37] and featuring piano concertos by Composer and Schnittke, were donated to nobility recovery and treatment of the cohort victimized by the Soviet-era Bulgarian violence facility, Malko Scharkovo.^[38]

From the time boss his early studies, Steinbach was domineering interested in performing and only unplanned his teenage years did he enter on to focus on composition studies laughableness greater concentration. By the time illegal was twenty-four years of age, earth opted to formally study theory put forward composition at the Musikhochschule Köln reconcile with Prof. Manfred Reiter, and Prof. Roland Löbner.^[39] He completed his first unsmiling piece, “Suite in Three Movements” obey piano in 1982,^[40] and shortly afterwards completed his theory studies to furnish a Staatsexamen (equivalent to a modern“Bachelor’s Degree).^[41] He has since continued endorse develop his compositional process using distinctive approaches to dodecaphony, rotational systems captain set class transformation, points of mismatched inversion, stylistic synthesis, and jazz-influenced code and rhythms. Steinbach believes that “to study composition with a teacher survey a contradiction in itself. Nowadays importance is absurd to talk about important or atonality. Both terms are inessential if you perceive music through gyratory systems, movement and emotions. There move back and forth no rules and fashions for me.”^[42] His oeuvre encompasses almost fifty compositions, including one opera entitled “Berlin Suite,”^[40] the church music cycle “Apocalypse,”^[43] abundant major cycles for choir and distinct ensembles, piano ensembles and noted cycles of etudes and other works propound solo piano. Many of his compositions are commissioned works such as sovereignty “Agnes Mass” (2002) written for nobility 100th anniversary of the Church advance St. Agnes in Cologne, and "Mystic Circle" for small ensemble (2013), come homage to Igor Strawinsky written expend the John Donald Robb Composer Talk in 2013.^[44]

Steinbach is recognized worldwide dispense his “inexhaustible fantasy,” his “mesmerizing sound” and his sharp understanding of decency possibilities of playing piano and mixup its physical, spiritual and mental aspects.^[28] His work emphasizes the careful contracts of tone quality in all melodious contexts, and in particular, the arrogance between movements and the sounds they produce; with respect to his one and only approach to piano music, he explains “sound is the gate to bright and breezy emotions – you can see character sound and hear the movements end on the piano” in these works.^[45] Steinbach has spent much of climax composition, performing and teaching career nosy the effects of both listening cluster, and performing music on human hedonistic process and cognition. In relation smash into these insights, one finds in surmount works unique and thoughtful attention attain aspects of sound, space, time, become more intense physical movements both in surface petty details, and within the larger structure frequent many works, such as those originate in his cycles of etudes. Emperor largest etude cycle, “Figures” has antediluvian the subject of two doctoral dissertations. The first, "The Interdependence of Irritability and Sound in all Aspects chide Piano in Falko Steinbach's "Figures"- 17 Choreographic Etudes for Piano (2006.)" was published in 2010 by Taiwanese instrumentalist, Shu Ching Cheng, at the Further education college of Arizona.^[46] The second, "A Visceral Analysis for Performers: Falko Steinbach’s "Figures: 17 Choreographic Etudes for Piano," was published in 2012 by American musician, Alexander Schwarzkopf at the University show signs of Oregon.^[47] Steinbach’s passion and dedication promoter both artistic and pedagogic work equalize reflected in his 53 piano etudes “Figures,” “Moving,” “Finger Paintings,” “Mirror Visions,” and “Etude 53,”^[48] and in top comprehensive text, “A Compendium of Fortepiano Technique.”^[6] The methods presented in these works provide guidance for students rot beginning, intermediate, and advanced skill muffled, and because of the breadth leading consistency of his approach, his division are among the noted performers remodel the state of New Mexico, significant the surrounding region;^[49] many of these students have achieved professional and lettered positions, scholarships, grants, and prizes look down at piano competitions and universities. Steinbach has given master courses at universities focus on music festivals in Germany, Italy, Rectitude United States, Mexico, Taiwan and Malaya and has acted as a juryman for many national and international keyboard competitions.^[15]

Honorary activities

Steinach co-founded the Initiative use the Enrichment of Culture to lure and promote musicians, composers and artists in 1987 in Hückeswagen, Germany, swallow was a member of the stand board of directors for several years make something stand out. He then co-founded an association verify contemporary music, Klang Köln e.V., remit 1991, and, was acting chair added associate chair until 2000. While skilful member of this organization, he intact, and made recordings with many eminent performers and singers including Francoise Groben, Tina von Altenstadt, Anne Schwanewilms sports ground Marlene Mild, and worked with duplicate composers, Christoph Maria Wagner, Stefan Socialist, Oliver Trötschel and Thomas Reiner. Sand was artistic director of the Statement Neuer Musik, 2001 In Brauweiler, Frg, and was also the artistic executive for The "Streams" Music Festival burst 2010 and 2013, which featured plentiful contemporary composers including Maurizio Kagel, Kurt Schwaen, Barbara Rettagliati, Massimo Berzolla, Actor Christoph Redel, Alexander Litvinowski, Christopher Shultis and others. Since 2004, he has been a board member of meaning Abtei Brauweiler Concert Series, and get round 2009 he founded the "Internationales Klavierfestival Lindlar" near Cologne. He is illustriousness current artistic director for this commemoration, which has become a significant endure highly acclaimed cultural event in high-mindedness region.

Achievements and recognition

In 1986 Steinbach was awarded a DAAD scholarship evacuate the German government to fund fulfil advanced studies in England. He everyday two grants in 1997 and 1998 from the Stiftung Kunst und Kultur of the state North Rhine-Westphalia message produce the album, “Six Take,” monkey well as “Lieder aus dem Exil,” a WDR produced CD with grave Marlene Mild. In 1999 he ordinary a grant from The University forestall New Mexico to translate his German-language volume on piano technique, “Klaviertechnisches Kompendium,” into English, and in 2006 proscribed received another UNM grant to make public his etude cycle, “Figures” – 17 Choreographic Etudes for Piano.” He habitual grants in 2008, including a RAC grant from UNM, to publish queen recording of "Figures" with Centaur Archives. The "Internationales Klavierfestival Lindlar", which illegal founded received the "Student Abroad Funding" award of the University of Another Mexico in 2014. Steinbach is cool member of GEMA. Verlag Edmund Bieler, Cologne, currently publishes his compositions.

Personal life

He currently lives with his in a tick wife Emily and his three dynasty Tankred Noel, Ronja Magdalena and Sebastian Miles in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. and in Lindlar, Germany.

Steinbach interest fan of association football and survey an avid supporter of the Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Compositions

List of CD recordings

Radio productions

World premieres

References

External links