Born: June 4, 1943 - Gummersbach, Germany

The German conductor, organist and harpsichordist, Wolfgang Karius, studied church music and school music at the Musikhochschule in Köln. His organ teachers were Wolfgang Stockmeier and Michael Schneider as well as Hugo Ruf in harpsichord. After the national A-exam, he continued his studies as a scholarship holder of the French Government in particular French organ music with Marie-Claire Alain and Jean Langlais in Paris. At the same time he worked there as "Organiste Titulaire" at the German church. Master-classes with Luigi Tagliavini, Anton Heiller and Kenneth Gilbert, which led to an intensive argument with Baroque performance practice, and master-classes in directing with Kurt Thomas and Sergiu Celibidache completed the musical training of Wolfgang Karius. At the Kölner Universität he studied Romanistik and with Heinrich Hüschen musicology science.

After an activity of many years as church musician in Köln, Wolfgang Karius is since 1983 organist and Kantor at the Annakirche in Aachen, director of the traditionally oratorio choir Aachener Bachverein, and responsible for the artistic direction of the annual Aachener Bachtage.

Concert tours have led Wolfgang Karius so far to most countries in Western and Eastern Europe, to Canada as well as to Israel and to Lebanon. In addition to his activities as organist, harpsichordist and conductor, he is also a publisher of early music, and also radio and CD recordings for Erato, SFPP, Schwann and Electrola, Mitra as well as current organ and oratorio works for Syrius.

Source: Aachener Bachverein Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2005); Fhoto: Harald Krömer
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2005)

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