Hans Jürgen Wenzel

Born in Weißwasser, Wenzel first received a violin education at the University of Rostock. From 1957 to 1962 he studied conducting and musical composition with Ruth Zechlin at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin. From 1962 to 1965 he was ballet conductor and répétiteur at the Kulturinsel Halle. In 1965 Wenzel became musical director at the Thalia Theater (Halle). In 1969 he changed again to the Landestheater as conductor and composer. In 1976 he founded the Composer class Halle. The classes still exist today in Halle, Dresden, Magdeburg and Zeitz. Children and young people are accompanied there in the creative, compositional handling of sheet music and work together with musicians on their first own pieces. From 1978 to 1988 he was conductor of the Staatskapelle Halle. From 1988 Hans Jürgen Wenzel worked as a freelance composer and conductor in Berlin and Halle, his special commitment was to New Music. He was the founder and director of special ensembles for new music, e.g. the Ensemble Konfrontation (Halle), the Ensemble Phorminx (Darmstadt) and the Ensemble United Berlin. Wenzel was 1989 vice-president of the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR (VKM) and its President from 1989 to 1990. From 1990 to 1993, he was the successor of Wolfgang Lesser as head of the Verband Deutscher Komponisten (VDK). After 2000, he was Honorary Professor at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden and also worked as a lecturer in composition at home and abroad. Among his students were Annette Schlünz, Uwe Krause, Karsten Gundermann, Michael Flade, and Alexander Keuk. Wenzel died in Halle (Saale) at the age of 70.

• Fridolin, ballet (Libretto H. Haas), 1965 • Geschichte vom alten Adam, opera (text I. Rähmer after Erwin Strittmatter), 1972/73 • Händel-Pasticcio for 2 actors, mezzo, tape, choir and orchestra 1984–86

• Schwarze Asche, weiße Vögel, Solo cantata for baritone and string orchestra, 1966/67 • DENKMALSTANDORT, chamber oratorio to Prometheus 1982 for speaker, mezzo, bass, child's voice, chamber choir and instruments, texts by various poets, 1981/82

• Concerto for flute and orchestra, 1966 • Concerto grosso, 1968 • Concerto for cello and orchestra, 1968/69 • Train Symphony, 1970 • Concerto for large orchestra, 1974 • I. Tardo • II Pressante • III Teneraments • Concerto for violin, string orchestra, harpsichord and percussion, 1974 • Bauhaus music for orchestra, 1977/78 • Concerto for organ and large orchestra, 1979/80 • Mourning and Fire II for chamber orchestra, 1984/85 • Symphony for large orchestra Grief and Fire III, 1985 • Sinfonietta for orchestra, 1985–86

• 1st string quartet, 1960 • 2nd string quartet, 1968 • 3rd string quartet, 1970 • Dilishanade, Septet, 1975 • 12 exhibition music, 1977–86, including the Schult-Musik (1980), the Eröffnungsmusik (1978) and the Trio (1980) for Otto Möhwald • 4th string quartet, 1977/81 • Approximation, for flute, clarinet, trumpet, 2 cellos and 2 percussionists, 1980 • Metallophonie I, exhibition music for metal works of different forms, material and sound possibilities as well as 3 flutes, trumpet, viola and cello, 1981 • Double musik I und II, 1983/84 (joint composition with Friedrich Schenker) • Second Bauhaus music for six wind instruments, 1986 • Inversion, group music for 8 players, 1988