Folkwang Academy
Encyclopedia
The Folkwang University of the Arts is a German
university for music, theater, dance, design and academic studies. Its traditional main location since 1927 is in the former Werden Abbey
in Essen
in the Ruhr Area
, with additional facilities in Duisburg
, Bochum
and Dortmund
and since 2010 at the Zeche Zollverein
, a World Heritage Site
. The Folkwang University is the home of the international dance company Folkwang Tanz Studio (FTS). Founded as Folkwangschule, its name was Folkwang Hochschule (Folkwang Academy) from 1963 until 2009.
founded in 1902 by arts patron Karl Ernst Osthaus
. The term Folkwang derives from the Old Norse
name of the afterlife meadow of the dead, Fólkvangr
, presided over by the Norse
goddess Freyja. It stands for a view of the arts as a whole, not split in unconnected divisions. This in mind, opera director Rudolf Schulz-Dornburg and choreographer Kurt Jooss
founded in 1927 the Folkwangschule für Musik, Tanz und Sprechen (Folkwang School for Music, Dance, and Speech) in Essen. In 1928 a previously established school of design joined the Folkwang institution, which received status and name Hochschule (Academy) in 1963, University in 2010, named Folkwang-Hochschule. In 2010 the institution was named Folkwang University of the Arts, reflecting the broader scientific approach. This coincided with RUHR2010, the Ruhr
being European Capital of Culture
.
Public events take place at the Folkwang University on its six in-house stages and in collaboration with cultural institutions of the region, such as the Philharmonie in Essen
, the , Musiktheater im Revier
, the Duisburg Philharmonic, the theatres in Wuppertal
and the .
Undergraduate courses:
Advanced programs:
have included
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
university for music, theater, dance, design and academic studies. Its traditional main location since 1927 is in the former Werden Abbey
Werden Abbey
Werden Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Essen-Werden , situated on the Ruhr.- The foundation of the abbey :Near Essen Saint Ludger founded a monastery in 799 and became its first abbot. The little church which Saint Ludger built here in honor of Saint Stephen was completed in 804 and dedicated...
in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
, with additional facilities in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
and Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
and since 2010 at the Zeche Zollverein
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The Folkwang University is the home of the international dance company Folkwang Tanz Studio (FTS). Founded as Folkwangschule, its name was Folkwang Hochschule (Folkwang Academy) from 1963 until 2009.
History
The university shares its unusual name with the Museum FolkwangMuseum Folkwang
Museum Folkwang is a major collection of 19th and 20th century art in Essen, Germany. The museum was established in 1922 by merging the Essener Kunstmuseum, which was founded in 1906, and the private Folkwang Museum of the collector and patron Karl Ernst Osthaus in Hagen, founded in 1901.The term...
founded in 1902 by arts patron Karl Ernst Osthaus
Karl Ernst Osthaus
Karl Ernst Osthaus was an important German patron of avant-garde art and architecture.In 1902, Osthaus founded the Folkwang Museum in Hagen, Germany...
. The term Folkwang derives from the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name of the afterlife meadow of the dead, Fólkvangr
Fólkvangr
In Norse mythology, Fólkvangr is a meadow or field ruled over by the goddess Freyja where half of those that die in combat go upon death, while the other half go to the god Odin in Valhalla...
, presided over by the Norse
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
goddess Freyja. It stands for a view of the arts as a whole, not split in unconnected divisions. This in mind, opera director Rudolf Schulz-Dornburg and choreographer Kurt Jooss
Kurt Jooss
Kurt Jooss was a famous ballet dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of dance theatre or tanztheater...
founded in 1927 the Folkwangschule für Musik, Tanz und Sprechen (Folkwang School for Music, Dance, and Speech) in Essen. In 1928 a previously established school of design joined the Folkwang institution, which received status and name Hochschule (Academy) in 1963, University in 2010, named Folkwang-Hochschule. In 2010 the institution was named Folkwang University of the Arts, reflecting the broader scientific approach. This coincided with RUHR2010, the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
being European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
.
Activities
The Folkwang University unites training in music, theatre, dance, design and scholarship, in order to encourage collaboration among the arts.Public events take place at the Folkwang University on its six in-house stages and in collaboration with cultural institutions of the region, such as the Philharmonie in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, the , Musiktheater im Revier
Musiktheater im Revier
Musiktheater im Revier is the venue for performing opera, operetta, musical theatre and ballet in Gelsenkirchen, Germany...
, the Duisburg Philharmonic, the theatres in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
and the .
Undergraduate courses:
- Instrumental training for different musical instruments (accordion, bassoon, cello, clarinet, double bass, flute, guitar, harp, harpsichord, horn, oboe, organ, percussion, piano, recorder, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin)
- Jazz / Performing Artist
- Integrative composition (instrumental composition, electronic composition, jazz composition, pop composition, composition and visualisation)
- Church music
- Voice (concert performance, Lieder, oratorio and music theatre)
- School Music
- Music pedagogy
- Musicology in combination with an artistic subject
- Musicals
- Acting
- Physical Theatre
- Directing
- Dance
- Industrial Design
- Communication Design
- Photography
Advanced programs:
- Orchestral playing
- Conducting (orchestral/choir)
- Vocal Ensemble Direction
- Musicology in combination with an artistic discipline
- Chamber music
- Composition (electronic composition, instrumental composition, instrumental/electronic composition)
- Concert Performance
- Solo Dance
- Choreography
- Labanotation
- Dance Pedagogy
Staff
Staff have included- Hermann Baumann
- Young-Chang ChoYoung-Chang ChoYoung-Chang Cho is a Korean classical cellist teaching at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany's Ruhr Area.- Biography :Young-Chang Cho was born in Seoul in 1958. He started cello lessons at the age of eight...
- Chris HouldingChris HouldingChris Houlding was appointed Principal Trombone of the Orchestra of Opera North, England, when he was 21 and has played as Guest Principal with the best of UK ensembles and recently represented the UK in the World Orchestra of Peace in Russia...
- Nicolaus A. HuberNicolaus A. HuberNicolaus A. Huber is a German composer.From 1958 to 1962 Huber studied music education at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and subsequently composition with Franz Xaver Lehner and Günter Bialas. He pursued his education further with Josef Anton Riedl, Karlheinz Stockhausen and, above...
- Ifor JamesIfor JamesProfessor Ifor James was a horn player and teacher, numbering among his pupils many future Principal Horns and horn professors at British music schools....
- Kurt JoossKurt JoossKurt Jooss was a famous ballet dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of dance theatre or tanztheater...
- Uwe KöllerUwe KöllerUwe Köller is a German trumpeter. His career began as a solo trumpeter in the Berlin Symphony Orchestra; after 1991 he was at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Beginning in 1995, he has been a permanent member of the group "German Brass". Beginning in 1997, Köller taught as a visiting professor to...
- Scott Lawton
- Fritz LehmannFritz LehmannFritz Lehmann was a noted German conductor, whose career was cut short by his early death at the age of 51. His repertoire ranged from the Baroque through to contemporary works, in both the concert hall and the opera house. He was an early advocate of period performance practice. and founded the...
- Frank Lloyd (horn player)Frank Lloyd (horn player)Frank Lloyd is a virtuoso horn player and teacher, Professor of Horn at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany and formerly professor of horn at both the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Trinity College of Music in London....
- Lore LorentzLore LorentzLore Lorentz was a German cabaret artist/standup comedian.She was born in Mährisch-Ostrau in Austria-Hungary , as Lore Schirner. She studied history, German literature and philosophy in Berlin and Vienna...
- Lauren NewtonLauren Newton (singer)Lauren Amber Newton is an avant-garde jazz and contemporary classical singer, composer and teacher, best known as a founding member of the Vienna Art Orchestra....
- Walter NicksWalter NicksWalter Nicks was an African-American modern dancer, choreographer, and teacher of jazz and modern dance. He was a certified master teacher of Katherine Dunham technique. He was professionally active for nearly 60 years....
- Krzysztof PendereckiKrzysztof PendereckiKrzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
(1966 to 1968), composer - Gerhard StäblerGerhard StäblerGerhard Stäbler is a German contemporary composer.In 1968 he enrolled in the composition program at the Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie in Detmold and continued his education at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, where he studied with Nicolaus A. Huber and Gerd Zacher...
- Rita StreichRita StreichRita Streich , was one of the most admired and recorded sopranos of the post-war period.Rita Streich was born in Barnaul in Russia, and moved to Germany with her parents during her childhood. She grew up bilingual, something that was extremely helpful during her later career...
(1920–1987), opera soprano - Paul TortelierPaul TortelierPaul Tortelier was a French cellist and composer.Tortelier was born in Paris, the son of a cabinet maker with Breton roots. He was encouraged to play the cello by his father Joseph and mother Marguerite , and at 12 he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He studied the cello there with Gérard Hekking...
Alumni
AlumniAlumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
have included
- Pina BauschPina BauschPhilippina "Pina" Bausch was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director...
(1940–2009), choreographer - Max BurchartzMax BurchartzMax Hubert Innocenz Maria Burchartz was a German photographer.-Life:Max Burchartz was the son of a fabric manufacturer, Otto Burchartz and his wife Maria. After his basic schooling he received training in his father's weaving mill and studied at a textile technical school as well as an art school...
- Andreas DejaAndreas DejaAndreas Deja is as an animator most noted for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Deja's creations include the Disney villains Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin and Scar from The Lion King. He is a recipient of the 2006 Winsor McCay Award.-Early life:Andreas Deja was born...
- Vladimir DjambazovVladimir DjambazovVladimir Djambazov is a Bulgarian composer and horn player. He studied first at the Music academy in Sofia...
- Tommy FinkeTommy FinkeTommy Finke is a singer-songwriter of Indie, German rock and pop music, and a composer of electronic and computer music.- Bio :...
- Agnes GiebelAgnes GiebelAgnes Giebel is a German soprano. She was born in Heerlen, in the Netherlands, where she lived the first years of her life. She studied at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen and made her first public appearance as a singer in 1947. Her career lasted until the 1990s during which she established a...
, (1920–), soprano - Reinhild Hoffmann, (1943–), choreographer
- Theo JörgensmannTheo JörgensmannTheodor Franz Jörgensmann is a jazz and free-improvising Basset clarinet player and composer. He has been a professional musician since 1975.-Activities:...
- Salome KammerSalome KammerSalome Kammer is a German actor, singer and cellist.- Professional career :Kammer was the fourth of six children. Her father was a Protestant pastor...
, cellist, vocalist - David KampDavid KampDavid Kamp is a composer and sound designer located in Essen, Germany.He studied Electronic Composition at the ICEM Folkwang Hochschule and has worked with directors and motion design studios on animated movies, shorts, commercials, and television series...
- Susanne LinkeSusanne LinkeSusanne Linke is a German dancer and freelance choreographer important in the development of Tanztheater in Germany and contemporary dance internationally.-Career:...
- Gerd LudwigGerd LudwigGerd Ludwig is a German-American documentary photographer and photojournalist.- Biography :...
- Ann MandrellaAnn MandrellaAnn Mandrella is a French actress, born in Besançon, France on the 3rd of August. She has performed in theatre productions throughout Europe and in New York City.-Biography:...
- John McGuire (composer)John McGuire (composer)John McGuire is an American composer, pianist, organist, and music editor.-Biography:John McGuire initially studied composition with Robert Gross at Occidental College, where he earned a BA in 1964. He received a succession of three Alfred E...
- Carlos OrtaCarlos OrtaCarlos Orta was a dancer, choreographer and teacher with the José Limón Dance Company in New York since 1979. Mr. Orta was born in Caracas, Venezuela and trained at the Scola Cantorum in Paris...
- Jürgen ProchnowJürgen ProchnowJürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
(1941–), actor - Andreas PruysAndreas Pruys- Professional career :Andreas Pruys studied singing and church music at the Folkwanghochschule in Essen. He worked as a church musician for several years, also as director of the music school in Emmerich. He has been a member of the choir NDR Chor since 2001....
, bass - Karl RidderbuschKarl RidderbuschKarl Ridderbusch was a German operatic bass, associated in particular with the music of Wagner. He was recognised as a notable exponent of the role of Hans Sachs.-Background and early career:...
- Thomas RuffThomas RuffThomas Ruff is an internationally renowned German photographer who lives and works in Düsseldorf.-Life:...
- Stefanie SchneiderStefanie SchneiderStefanie Schneider is a German photographer living in Berlin and Los Angeles. Stefanie Schneider is known for using expired Polaroid instant film material to achieve an effect of washed-out colors and random artifacts from the deprecation of the chemicals...
- Anton StankowskiAnton StankowskiAnton Stankowski was a German graphic designer, photographer and painter. He developed an original Theory of Design and pioneered Constructive Graphic Art. Typical Stankowski designs attempt to illustrate processes or behaviours rather than objects...
- Raphael ThoeneRaphael ThoeneRaphael Dominique Thoene, Ph.D. is a German composer and musicologist.- Biography :Raphael D. Thoene obtained a degree in Composition and Music Theory . A scholarship recipient, he studied Film Scoring and Composition at the Berklee College of Music, Boston...
- Graham WaterhouseGraham WaterhouseGraham Waterhouse is an English composer and a cellist. He is known for chamber music and for unusual scoring, such as Piccolo Quintet, Bright Angel for three bassoons and contrabassoon, Chieftain's Salute for Great Highland Bagpipe and string orchestra, and works for speaking voice and cello,...
, composer and cellist - Dirk WeilerDirk WeilerDirk Weiler is a German singer, actor and musical theatre actor.- Biography :Dirk Weiler was born in Neunkirchen , Germany. He showed an interest in the performing arts from a very early age on. He participated in school and community theatre productions...
External links
- Folkwang University
- Folkwang Tanz-Studio
- ICEM Institute For Computer Music and Electronic Media (in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
)
Further Reading
- Neuhaus, Thomas. “[Institutions] Folkwang University: Development of Electronic Music and the ICEM – Institut für Computermusik und Elektronische Medien (Essen, Germany).” eContact! 12.4 – Perspectives on the Electroacoustic Work / Perspectives sur l’œuvre électroacoustique (August 2010). Montréal: CECCanadian Electroacoustic CommunityFounded in 1986, La Communauté électroacoustique canadienne / The Canadian Electroacoustic Community is Canada’s national electroacoustic / computer music / sonic arts organization and as such is dedicated to promoting this progressive art form in its broadest definition: from “pure” acousmatic...
.