Karlheinz Stockhausen Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Date of birth:
August 22. 1928
Place of birth:
Burg Mödrath, Cologne, Germany
Astrology Sign:
Leo
Tags:
Biography
A musical pioneer, Karlheinz Stockhausen was born in the suburb of Cologne, in 1928. His father, Simon, was a school teacher, his mother, Gertrude, was an amateur pianist. He played piano from age 7, showing a perfect pitch and impressive memory. He lost both parents in WWII, being only twelve years old. At age 16 he was recruited to serve at the war hospital, where he attended hundreds of severely wounded. He studied music at Cologne Musikhochschule, at Cologne University (1945-51), at Paris Conservatory (1951-53) with Olivier Messiaen and Darius Milhaud. At the University of Bonn (1954-56) he studied information theory, acoustics and composition.
Stockhausen began his experiments with live music and recorded sounds in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He played with the tape-recorded sounds of glass, metal, wood and other unconventional sources in Paris Radio Studio and at Cologne Radio (WDR) electronic studio. His experimental work at the West Deutsche Rundfunk (WDR) studio in Cologne was the leading work with recorded sound at that time. In the early 1960s Stockhausen collaborated with Yoko Ono in her New York loft concerts. He also staged happenings with George Maciunas and other avant-garde performers of the "Fluxus" movement.
In 1968 he wrote the conceptual "From Seven Days" after living completely alone and without food, being influenced by Sri Aurobindo. In "Ylem" (1972) he instructs 19 musicians to establish telepathic communication with each other while performing this 26-minute happening. His "Helikopter-Streichquartett" (1992-95) was written for 4 musicians performing on 4 flying helicopters with electronic video and sound inter-com technology, and was performed and recorded in 1996 several times by the Arditti Quartet on helicopters provided by the Austrian Army. Stockhausen's largest work took him 25 years to complete. It is the mega-opera consisting of seven operas, one 24-hour opera for each day of the week, is entitled "Licht" (Light, 1977-2003).
Stockhausen created over 200 compositions, presenting a conceptual mix of occidental an oriental cultures. His thought-provoking output was cited as an influence by the The Beatles, Yoko Ono, Kraftwerk, Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock, and Björk.
Stockhausen began his experiments with live music and recorded sounds in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He played with the tape-recorded sounds of glass, metal, wood and other unconventional sources in Paris Radio Studio and at Cologne Radio (WDR) electronic studio. His experimental work at the West Deutsche Rundfunk (WDR) studio in Cologne was the leading work with recorded sound at that time. In the early 1960s Stockhausen collaborated with Yoko Ono in her New York loft concerts. He also staged happenings with George Maciunas and other avant-garde performers of the "Fluxus" movement.
In 1968 he wrote the conceptual "From Seven Days" after living completely alone and without food, being influenced by Sri Aurobindo. In "Ylem" (1972) he instructs 19 musicians to establish telepathic communication with each other while performing this 26-minute happening. His "Helikopter-Streichquartett" (1992-95) was written for 4 musicians performing on 4 flying helicopters with electronic video and sound inter-com technology, and was performed and recorded in 1996 several times by the Arditti Quartet on helicopters provided by the Austrian Army. Stockhausen's largest work took him 25 years to complete. It is the mega-opera consisting of seven operas, one 24-hour opera for each day of the week, is entitled "Licht" (Light, 1977-2003).
Stockhausen created over 200 compositions, presenting a conceptual mix of occidental an oriental cultures. His thought-provoking output was cited as an influence by the The Beatles, Yoko Ono, Kraftwerk, Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock, and Björk.