Biografie from
Erhard Karkoschka
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Erhard Karkoschka,
born 6.3.1923 in Moravská Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, after the war violinist in the Bareuth Symphony Orchestra. Then studied Composition, Conducting and Musicology. His doctoral Thesis deals with the development of the compositional techniques in the early works of Anton Webern.

From 1948 to 1968 directed the Choir and Orchestra at the University Hohenheim, the former Agricultural College, also the "Hohenheimer Schloßkonzerte".
Since 1958 teaches at the Staatlichen Hochschule for Music and Dramatic Art Stuttgart.
In 1962 he founded there his Ensemble for New Musik, which broke away from the school in 1976 and now estist as the CONTACT-ENSEMBLE.
Since 1973 he is director of the Studio for Electronic Music at the Hochschule.
1995 Ehrensenator.
1987 emeritiert.
1996 ausgeschieden.

From 1964 till 1972 was member of the executive commitee of the Institute für Neue Musik und Musikerziehung Darmstadt and is,
from 1974 till 1980, President of the Gesellschaft für neue Musik, West germany Section of the international Society for Contemporary Music.
From 1976 till 1984 Advisory Editor to the Belgian-Dutch publication INTERFACE, Journal for new Music research.

1987 august and september Courese and lectures in this South-African universities: Durban, Grahamstown, Kapstadt, Zululand und Westville.

1993 Seminars at the First International Courses for Composition, Interpretation and Notation in Ivancha (Moldova)
October: Seminars at the Asian Contemporary Music Festival in Seoul and at Universities in Yonsei, Chungang, Sungshin, and at the Conservatoire Chugye.

1994 april: Introductions into and performances of several electronic compositions of mine.
september/october: Lectures and seminars in the Central Conservatory of Music and in the Musiccollege for Chinese Muic in Beijing.

Contract with the Chinese Edition PEOPLES MUSIC PUBLISHING HOUSE about the publication of the Chinese version of my book "Notation in New Music".

1995 Conducted the opening concert of the "Week for New Music" in Kishinew with compositions by Schönberg, Webern, Hempel and two of mine.

2001 South Africa in Stellenbosch and Durban concert and seminar about timecomposition and analyse from new music.

2001 Wien: with "Neue Vokalsolisten Stuttgart", seminar about "Musikalische Graphik"

Received Commissions for works from Biennale zagreb, the Land Rheinland-Pfalz, the Deutscher Sängerbund, the Kulturkries im Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, etc.;Competition Prize from the national Olympic Commitee, several from the "Künstlergilde Esslingen", the town Stuttgart, the Schwäbischer Sä,ngerbund, 1982 Moutserrat, 1999 M.Ensle-Prize der Kunststiftung Badeb-Württemberg.

Catalogue of works includes compositions for Orchestra, Choir, Organ, Chamber and Scenic Music for various instruments; also electronic Music, Multi-Media Projects; a Musical Constuction Set (Box), Instructions for Group Improvisation, Music for Musicians and Auduence, etc.

Is author of a book on the Notation, published in German, English and Japanese; and of two other on the Analysis of New Music. In China published a course of Aural Training only using New Music, and a collection of Essays. His publications in musical journals deals with questions concerning contemporary music, in addition there are book criticisms and radio programmes.


Further international activities:

1967 Seminar at the Biennale Zagreb;
1968 Seminars at the Music Conservatory Stockholm and at the International Summer Course in Darstadt, read paper at the Concress for New Notations in New York and Washigton;
1969 two seminars in Prague;
1970 Seminars at the Arbeitstage für Musik in Berlin and the University Aarthus (Denmark) and the Music Conservatory Stockholm;
1972 Chairman of the Webern Congress in Vienna, seminars at the Funtionalisten-Congress in Vis (Yugoslavia) and the Cours d´Ete in Paris, reada paper at the Symposium for New Notation in Roma and
1976 in the Competition for Northern Ensembles in Helsinki.
1976 composed in electronic studios in California: Buchla-Studio of Allen Strange in Los gatos, EMÜ-Studio Santa Clara, Studio of the University in San José and the Mills College in Oakland.
1977 Read a paper at the Congress in Berkeley, lecture tour of the Universities Urbana-Champaign (Illinois), Charlottesville (Virginia) and Greensboro (North Carolina).
1978 composing seminars for three weeks at the Music College of the University of the Philippines in Manila. Conducted the Phiharmonic Orchestra of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, compositions by Mozart, Logothtis, Schidlowsky and Karkoschka.
Invitation of the University to continue that seminars next year connected with the commission for an orchestra-composition from the Cultural Center, which should be performed in a concert with the mentioned orchestra conducted by the composer.
Seminars and Lectures at three Universities in Seoul.
Composing seminars for three weeks at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem.
Lectures at the Musikhochschule Graz about own compositions.
1979 resumption of the composing seminars in Manila, final concert with works of seven young composers. Concert with the Philharmonic Orchester of the Cultural Center, compositions by Schönberg, Avni, Santos and Karkoschka (premiere of the commission TELEOLOGIES).
1980/81 First prize at the International Competition of the Monasterium Montserrat with the composition SAVE REGINA
1981 Lecture at the Elektronmusikstudion Stockholm
1982 Sabbatical: electronic abd computer-music at the Elektronmusikstudion Stockholm
1983 Lecture, seminars and concerts in Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto
1985 Congresses in Nieborow (From Idea To Sound) and Bydgoszcz (Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis) in Poland.
Jury-member at the Third International Newcomp Computer Music Competition.
congrss (Music and Mathematics) in darstadt.
1986 Jury-member at the International Competition "Grazer Musikprotokoll".
Death 26.6.2009 in Stuttgart