Heinrich Konietzny

Heinrich Josef Konietzny (born May 7, 1910 in Gliwice; died April 23, 1983 in Saarbrücken-Dudweiler) was a German musician, professor and composer.

Heinrich Konietzny was born as the son of a Prussian Silesian military officer and socialist mayor. He gathered his first musical experiences on the mandolin, in singing and playing percussion instruments. At the age of eight he began his studies on the violin. Nine years old, he became student of the Konvikt of Bad Ziegenhals, where he chanted in a choir and received his first systematic education in music theory. He studied composition in Berlin in the class of Paul Hindemith. Since 1936 he played the bassoon in the symphonic orchestra of the Reichssender Saarbrücken (today: Saarländischer Rundfunk). 1947 he became an instructor at the Konservatorium Saarbrücken (University of Music Saarbrücken, today: Hochschule für Musik Saar). He was leader of the master class for composition, instrumentation and chamber music. He wrote six symphonies and a wealth of scores for radio plays and movies. Additionally he composed works for plucked string instruments in which he developed new sounds and ways to express musical ideas on these instruments. The documentary motion picture "Neue Musik" (Contemporary Music), directed by Manfred Heikaus and produced by the Saarländischer Rundfunk in the 60's gives insight in the creative work of the composer.

Konietzny received his first violin lessons in the year 1918. At the age of 17 he became concert master in the so-called Kurorchester of Bad Kudowa. In the year 1929 he became concert master of the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra. A broken left hand after an accident finished his career as a violinist in 1930. Following the advice of Hindemith, he began to study the bassoon in the same year. In the years from 1933 to 1936 he played the bassoon in several professional orchestras. From 1936 to 1939 he held a permanent position as solo bassoon player in the radio orchestra of the Reichssender Saarbrücken (today: Saarländischer Rundfunk). In the years 1939–1945 he had to join the German army in World War II. In 1946 he became first bassoon player in the symphony orchestra of the radio station of Saarbrücken (Saarländischer Rundfunk). He held this position until 1964. Parallel to this activity he also conducted a woodwind ensemble of the same orchestra.

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