Bernd A. Zimmermann
Bernd Alois Zimmermann was born on 20 March 1918 in Bliesheim near Cologne. He attended the Salvatorianer College Steinfeld in der Eifel from 1929 to 1936.
After having passed his Abitur, he initially commenced a primary teacher training course in 1937, but transferred a year later to the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne to study school music, music theory and composition with Heinrich Lemacher and Philipp Jarnach.
In 1939, Zimmermann was drafted into military service and returned from the front three years later due to illness. He then completed his musical studies in 1947 with the music teacher examination. In 1948, Zimmermann first attended the Darmstadt Summer courses for new music, coming into contact with Wolfgang Fortner und René Leibowitz; at the same time, his „Concerto for Orchestra"
(2nd version 1948) was first performed in Darmstadt. For financial security, Zimmermann arranged light and film music in the 1950s and composed music for school radio programmes.
After having passed his Abitur, he initially commenced a primary teacher training course in 1937, but transferred a year later to the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne to study school music, music theory and composition with Heinrich Lemacher and Philipp Jarnach.
In 1939, Zimmermann was drafted into military service and returned from the front three years later due to illness. He then completed his musical studies in 1947 with the music teacher examination. In 1948, Zimmermann first attended the Darmstadt Summer courses for new music, coming into contact with Wolfgang Fortner und René Leibowitz; at the same time, his „Concerto for Orchestra"
(2nd version 1948) was first performed in Darmstadt. For financial security, Zimmermann arranged light and film music in the 1950s and composed music for school radio programmes.
In the early summer of 1957, he was the first German composer to receive a scholarship for the Villa Massimo in Rome where he began work on the opera
„Die Soldaten". From 1957 onwards, he supervised a composition class and seminar for film and radio music at the Musikhochschule in Cologne.
The composer devoted the final years of his life to work on the „Requiem far a young poet" which was given its first performance in 1969. On 10 August 1970, Zimmermann took his own life in Groß-Königsdorf near Cologne.
„Die Soldaten". From 1957 onwards, he supervised a composition class and seminar for film and radio music at the Musikhochschule in Cologne.
The composer devoted the final years of his life to work on the „Requiem far a young poet" which was given its first performance in 1969. On 10 August 1970, Zimmermann took his own life in Groß-Königsdorf near Cologne.
Although the size of his musical oeuvre is relatively small, Zimmermann occupies a key position in the history of German post-war music. He not only immersed himself in serial music and the strict concept of the Darmstadt avant-garde, but also combined these influences in a highly original manner with elements of jazz and quotations from historical compositions, thereby intriguingly anticipating the core concepts and techniques of so-called post-modernism. Zimmermann's oeuvre includes compositions for orchestra - a „Symphony" (2nd version, 1953), a variety of ballet works and solo concertos - vocal works, chamber music and solo literature and electronic magnetic tape music.
Zimmermann received a number of prizes, including the north Rhine-Westphalia Grand Art Prize (1960) and the Art Prize from the City of Cologne (1966).
In 1965, Zimmermann was appointed as a member of the Academy of the Arts in Berlin.
In 1965, Zimmermann was appointed as a member of the Academy of the Arts in Berlin.