Artistic director Franz Xaver Ohnesorg died
The long-time director of the renowned Ruhr Piano Festival, Prof. Franz Xaver Ohnesorg, has died. The 75-year-old died unexpectedly on Tuesday evening, the festival's spokesperson confirmed in Essen on Wednesday.
Ohnesorg, a cultural manager from Weilheim in Upper Bavaria, had headed the festival for almost 30 years and made it a globally recognized institution. At the end of the 1970s and in the 1980s, Ohnesorg also worked in Munich. He was initially orchestra director of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and headed the operations department of the Gasteig cultural center, which was under construction at the time. For a time, he was also artistic director of Carnegie Hall and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Ohnesorg announced his retirement at the end of the year. To mark his retirement, the piano festival had organized several large benefit concerts, which were presented by Ohnesorg. At the last of these concerts on November 25, the well-known pianist Lang Lang and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, among others, were to perform in the Essen Philharmonie.
Despite his overwhelming career in music, Professor Ohnesorg enjoyed sharing his personal details with the audience during the benefit concerts. His love for music, particularly piano, was evident in his meticulous curation of the Ruhr Piano Festival.
Source: www.dpa.com
