*20 Sep 1943 Dresden

As a student Jörg Herchet studied the recorder, cello, piano and vocals. From 1964 to 1967 in the former DDR, he studied composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Dresden under John Paul Thilman and Manfred Weiss. From 1967 to 1969 he studied composition at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin with Rudolf Wagner-Régeny. He also studied cello, piano and choral conducting. At the Humboldt University in East Berlin, he was taught musicology by Georg Knepler. He wasn’t allowed to take the exams because he was deemed ‘unworthy of being a future socialist composer’.

From 1969 to 1970 he worked in the book trade, but also took organ lessons with Gerald Bull and Herbert Collum. From 1970 to 1974 he was Paul Dessau’s ‘master’s student’ at the Academy of Art in Berlin (East).

From 1975 onwards, his works were increasingly performed in Dresden, Berlin, Breslau, Cologne, Donaueschingen, Warsaw, Witten and Darmstadt (Darmstadt summer courses).

He was a guest lecturer in Halle, Gera, Mexico City (University of Puebla), Tokyo, New York, and Kenosha. From 1981 he lectured music theory and composition from 1993 to 2009 he was Professor of composition and analysis at the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music in Dresden.

In 1993 he received the International Lake Constance Culture Prize for music. He has been a member of the Saxon Academy of Arts since 1995. His extensive oeuvre includes chamber music, compositiions for the organ, sacred music and also orchestral compositions.

Jörg Herchet lives in Weinböhla.

Literature:

‘Die Töne haben mich geblendet’ (The sounds have blinded me), commemorative publication for the 60th Anniversary of the Dresden composer Jörg Herchet. Published by Christopher Sramek, Altenburg, 2003.

Herchet, Jörg

Fronleichnams-Kantate (2003)
Kantate zum Fest des Leibes und Blutes Christi aus „Das geistliche Jahr”
für 16 Chorsolisten und Violoncello solo
Jörg Milbradt (dt., lat.)
Vc.
16 St.
Dauer: 29’
TME 0696
*Partitur / Sti.

Komposition (2001)
für vier Klaviere
4 Klav.
Dauer: 43’
TME 0695
*Spiel-P.

Komposition 2 (1988)
für Orgel
Org.
Dauer: 25’
TME 0698
*Partitur

Komposition 4 (1998/2005)
für Orgel
Org.
15 TME 0699
*Partitur

„Sich verräumlichend” (2004)
Komposition 4 für Orchester
4 (Picc, Afl). 2 (Eh). 4. 2 (Kfg). / 4. 4. 3. 1. / Hf. Cel. Klav. 5 Schlzg. / 10. 8. 7. 5. 4. / im Raum: Vib. Mar. / 2 Vl. Vla. Vc. / Asax. E-Git. / 2 Tr. Ps. / Akk. / Fl. Ob. Kl. Fg. Hr.
Uraufführung: Donaueschingen / Dauer: 40’
TME 0697
Partitur / Sti.

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