Johannes-Ernst Köhler (Organ)

Born: June 24, 1910 - Meran
Died: September 12, 1990 - Weimar, Thuringia, Germany

The German organist, Johannes-Ernst Köhler, studied at the state academy for school and church music in Charlottenburg, Berlin from 1929 to 1933; his organ teacher was Wolfgang Reimann.

From 1934 to his retirement in 1975 Johannes-Ernst Köhler worked first as lecturer and then, from 1950, as professor of organ at the Weimar Conservatory. From 1934 to 1976 he also held the position of organist at the city church of St. Peter and Paul (Herderkirche) in Weimar; in 1950 he was made Director of Church Music. Johannes-Ernst Köhler's organ class at the Weimar Conservatory attained high international renown.

Numerous concert tours through various European countries gave Johannes-Ernst Köhler the opportunity to provc himself an outstanding performer of all major organ music and also a master of the art of Improvisation. The revival of this once so flourishing form of musical performance was of particular importancc to him.

Source: Liner notes to the 15-CD Box Set ‘J.S. Bach: Orgelwerke auf Silbermann-Orgel · Organ Works’ (Berlin Classics)
Contributed by Matthias Hansen (February 2011)

Organ Works on Silbermann Organs: LP Recordings on Eterna | CD Recordings on Berlin Classics | CD Recordings on Baroque Music Club
Short Biographies: Christoph Albrecht | Herbert Collum | Arthur Eger | Hannes Kästner | Robert Köbler | Johannes-Ernst Köhler | Günter Metz | Hans Otto | Erich Piasetzki | Johannes Schäfer
Recording Reviews: Bach on Silbermann Organs, Vol. 2 (C. Albrecht) | Bach Organ Works from Berlin Classics, Vol. 9 (E. Piasetzki)

Links to other Sites

Johannes-Ernst Köhler (Wikipedia) [German]