Hans Grischkat

• Name — Hans Grischkat • Birth Name — Hans Adolf Karl Wilhelm Grischkat • Born — 29 August 1903 • Birthplace — Hamburg, German Empire • Died — 10 January 1977 • Place of death — Frankfurt, West Germany • Education — Musikhochschule Stuttgart • Occupation — * Choral conductor • Musicologist • Academic teacher • Organizations — * Schwäbischer Singkreis • Musikhochschule Stuttgart • Hänssler

Grischkat was born in Hamburg. He studied at the University of Tübingen, first natural sciences, then musicology. He studied at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart with Hermann Keller. Grischkat was active in the Jugendmusikbewegung. He founded in 1924 the Reutlinger Singkreis, in 1931 the Schwäbischer Singkreis and in 1936 in Stuttgart the Grischkat-Singkreis. In 1945, he founded the orchestra Schwäbisches Symphonie-Orchester Reutlingen which is now known as the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, serving as the conductor until 1950. Grischkat was in 1926 the first in Württemberg to perform Bach's St John Passion without cuts, and with period instruments. In 1935 he conducted Bach's St Matthew Passion in historically informed performance, which became influential in southern Germany. To celebrate Bach's bicentenary of death in 1950, Grischkat compiled single movement cantata, with new texts, to a concert Vom Reiche Gottes (Of God's Kingdom), following an idea by Albert Schweitzer. Grischkat was at the same time the church musician of the Christuskirche, Reutlingen in Reutlingen and from 1950 a professor of choral conducting at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart. Among his students were Frieder Bernius, Wolfgang Gönnenwein, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz and Helmuth Rilling. He edited and published for Hänssler the series Die Kantate, offering sheet music of sacred works and background. He died in Stuttgart.