Helmut Lachenmann
*1935, Stuttgart
“Lachenmann’s music has often been accused of being overly intellectual. Such criticism, however, fails to recognize the sensitive, almost tender engagement with sound that defines his work.”
Martin Demmler, Composers of the 20th CenturySelected Awards
1965 · Culture Prize of the City of Munich
1968 · Composition Prize of the City of Stuttgart
1972 · Bach Prize, Hamburg
1997 · Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
2004 · Royal Philharmonic Society Award, London (String Quartet III GRIDO)
2008 · Berlin Art Prize & Golden Lion, Venice Biennale (lifetime achievement)
2010 · Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (First Class)
2011 · BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (Contemporary Music)
2012 · Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
2015 · German Music Authors’ Prize (Lifetime Achievement)
1968 · Composition Prize of the City of Stuttgart
1972 · Bach Prize, Hamburg
1997 · Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
2004 · Royal Philharmonic Society Award, London (String Quartet III GRIDO)
2008 · Berlin Art Prize & Golden Lion, Venice Biennale (lifetime achievement)
2010 · Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (First Class)
2011 · BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (Contemporary Music)
2012 · Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
2015 · German Music Authors’ Prize (Lifetime Achievement)
Memberships
Academies of the Arts in Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Mannheim and Munich
Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal College of Music, London (since 2010)
Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal College of Music, London (since 2010)
Composer in Residence & Visiting Professorships
Lucerne Festival, 2005
Harvard University, 2008
Festival Brücken, 2007
Basel Academy of Music, 2010
Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin, 2001/02
1935
Born on November 27 in Stuttgart
1955–1958
Studied at the Stuttgart Academy of Music: piano with Jürgen Uhde; theory and counterpoint with Johann Nepomuk David
1958–1960
Studied composition in Venice with Luigi Nono
1962
First public appearances as a composer at the Venice Biennale and the Darmstadt Summer Courses
1965
Worked at the electronic studio of the University of Ghent; Culture Prize of the City of Munich
1966–1970
Lecturer in music theory at the Stuttgart Academy of Music
1968
Composition Prize of the City of Stuttgart
1970–1976
Lecturer at the Ludwigsburg University of Education
1972
Coordinator of the composition studio at the Darmstadt Summer Courses; Bach Prize Hamburg
1972–1973
Masterclass in composition at the University of Basel
1976–1981
Professor of composition at the Hanover Academy of Music
1978, 1982
Taught at the Cursos Latinoamericanos de Música Contemporánea
since 1978
Regular lecturer at the Darmstadt Summer Courses
1981–1999
Professor of composition at the Stuttgart Academy of Music
1982
Composition seminars in Toronto
1984
Seminars in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Tokyo
1986–1999
Workshops and seminars across Europe, Japan and the Americas
1997
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
2001
Honorary doctorate; composition seminars in New York
2001/02
Fellowship at Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin
2004
Royal Philharmonic Society Award for String Quartet III GRIDO
2005
Composer-in-Residence at the Lucerne Festival
2007
Composer-in-Residence at Festival Brücken
2008
Fromm Visiting Professor at Harvard University; Berlin Art Prize; Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale
2009
Jury member, Toru Takemitsu Composition Award; lectures in Beijing and Shenyang
2010
Visiting professorship in Basel; Order of Merit of Germany; honorary doctorate; member of the Royal College of Music
2011
BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
2012
Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
2015
German Music Authors’ Prize (Lifetime Achievement)