German Conductor Wolf-Dieter Hauschild has Died, Aged 85

Hauschild was chief conductor of the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra

Born in Greiz, in the German state of Thuringia, Wolf-Dieter Hauschild was an acclaimed choir conductor, director, composer, and university teacher. His death in Leipzig was announced by his son.

Hauschild began his career at the Berliner Rundfunk radio station. In 1979, he was the chief conductor of the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra for 17 years, and in 1985, performed Weber's “Freischütz” at the reopening of the Semperoper Dresden venue, which had been destroyed during WWII. 

Traveling to the West after leaving the German Democratic Republic, Hauschild served as music director of the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, bolstering its international status through concert tours across Europe, Japan, and the U.S. as 

From 1991, he was chief conductor of the Essen Philharmonic and general music director of the City of Essen. Until 2001, Hauschild was an active freelance conductor.

Between 2002 and 2004, he served as general music director at the Volkstheater Rostock and chief conductor and later honorary conductor of the North German Philharmonic Rostock.

“[We commemorate our] honorary conductor [who] shaped the orchestra through numerous guest concerts and especially during his time as general music director from 2002-2004,” wrote the North German Philharmonic in a Facebook post.

Our condolences to Mr. Hauschild’s family, friends, students, and colleagues.