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Biography Dirk-Michael Kirsch

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Early musical life

  • born 21 of March 1965 in Westerland/Sylt

  • early musical education in piano with Ursula Fleck and Hans-Martin Padel, and from 1981 oboe with Takahisa Saito and Birgit Grätz

  • first compositions for choir and piano

  • 1982 Choral conducting course (German Vocal Association) with Hellmut Wormsbächer at Scheersberg, Flensburg

  • for over a decade, musical director of a number of choirs in Sylt and München.


Education:

  • 1986 studied oboe with Prof. Hagen Wangenheim at the Hochschule for Music in Munich

  • 1990 undergraduate studies in music education majoring on oboe, with piano as a secondary study

  • 1991 post-graduate studies in oboe (Fortbildungsklasse)

  • 1992 awarded a Kammermusik-Diplom (Chamber Music Diploma)

Professional performing experience:

  • 1992 participant at the Cantiere internationale d'arte in Montepulciano.

  • Engagements as Principal Oboe and Cor Anglais in numerous orchestras including Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Symphony, Nunich Chamber Orchestra, Munich Residence Orchestra and most recently Bavarian Chamber orchestra Bad Brückenau.

  • Radio broadcasts and CD recordings for the Bavarian Rundfunk, SWF, ORF, Calig, BayerRecords)

  • from 1990 oboist in the Munich New Music Ensemble as well as a number of chamber music ensembles such as the Munich Bell-Arte-Ensemble, the Duo H2O and the Ensemble Bergerette.

  • 2001 foundation of the „Trio LuDiAl“ with Alessandra Gentile (piano) and Luciano Tristaino (flute).


Teaching:                                

  • since 1989 tutor at the Chamber Music Seminars at Kloster Baumburg im Chiemgau.

  • from 1992 commencement of a teaching position at St. Stephan’s Music High School in Augsburg as well as a lecturing position at Augsburg University

  • from 1996 tuto in oboe, piano, theory and composition at the Grünwald Music School.

  • 2007 tutor at the Bruckner University in Linz (Austria) and 2009 at the Upper Austrian State Music schoos


Composition:

  • Dirk-Michael Kirsch’s work as a professional musician and his encounters with contemporary music inspired him to create his own works, predominantly for oboe in various ensemble settings, many of which have been performed live in concerts

  • Compositions listed with ACCOLADE Music Publishing in Warngau (www.accolade.de)

  • 29th of April 2003 saw the premiere of his Tuba Concerto with soloist Herbert Waldner and the Stuttgart Philharmonic, conducted by Michael Helmrath

  • In 2003 commenced working in association with conductor Alexander Hermann and the Ensemble Chrismòs, writing comissioned works for events such as the 100 year anniversary ot the German Museum (Deutsche Museum) in Munich; Orlamento (2006) - surround-sound collage for soloists, choir, 4 trombones, organ and bells; Solstitium (2008) for cor anglais and organ; as well as the choral songs after Georg-Heym Zyklus Op.19 (2006-2009)

  • A productive partnership with principal oboe of the Munich State Orchestra at Grtnerplatz, Josef Blank, brought about works such as Ganymed for solo oboe and the Concerto for Cor Anglais and Orchestra Op.18

  • 2nd June 2005 - Portrait of a Chamber Music Composer at the Bruckner University Linz

  • 27th July 2007 - Premiere of Concerto for Cor Anglais with Heike Steinbrecher and the Bavarian Chamber Academy, conducted by Josef Blank from the Schwarzenfelder Musiksommer

  • Dirk-Michael Kirsch is dedicated in all three areas of his career as a performing artist, music educator and composer, to studying lesser-known works and to searching for new repertoire for instruments in the oboe family.

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