Barbara Heller facts for kids

Barbara Heller (born on November 6, 1936) is a talented German composer and pianist. This means she writes music and also performs it on the piano. She lives in different places, including Darmstadt in Germany, and sometimes on the beautiful Canary Island of La Gomera.

Who is Barbara Heller?

Barbara Heller was born in a German city called Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Her father, Eugene Heller, was an artist who restored art in churches. In 1943, her family's home was bombed during the war, so they moved to Hammelbach/Odenwald. Later, they moved back to Ludwigshafen, then to Mannheim, Cologne, and finally Darmstadt.

Her Early Life and Music Journey

Barbara Heller studied music in Mannheim and Munich, finishing her studies in 1957. She started trying to compose music on her own as early as 1949. She later took lessons in composing from teachers like Hans Vogt and Harald Genzmer. For a short time, she even studied how to compose music for films in Siena, Italy.

She also received special scholarships to attend the Darmstädter Ferienkurse. These were important music courses where she learned from famous musicians like Hermann Heiss and David Tudor. From 1958 to 1962, she taught piano and lectured at the School of Music and Performing Arts in Mannheim.

Helping Other Musicians

In 1970, Barbara Heller started the "Hermann Heiss Archive, Darmstadt." This archive collects important documents and works from the composer Hermann Heiss. She continued to gather materials for it.

In 1978, she helped create the International Working Group on Women and Music. This group supports women composers and musicians. She was part of its leadership until 1981. In 1980, she also helped organize the first big festival celebrating women and music in Bonn and Cologne. From 1986 to 1993, she served on the board of the Institute for New Music and Music Education Darmstadt. This institute helps teach and promote new kinds of music.

Until 1990, Barbara Heller was very active as a pianist, performing her music for audiences. In 1991, she helped start a group called "Bluna Bluna" with Nicholas Heyduck and Michael Harenberg. This group creates unique sound projects, like music made with tape recordings, sound art for exhibitions, and live musical improvisations.

What Kind of Music Does She Make?

Barbara Heller has composed many different types of music. She has written pieces for the piano, an older instrument called the harpsichord, and even for full orchestras. She also composes music for smaller groups of instruments, known as chamber ensembles, and has created music for films.

Where Can You Hear Her Music?

You can find some of Barbara Heller's music on recordings. One example is:

• Feminae in Musica (Feminae Records, 2007)
  • This album includes her piece called Lalai, Schlaflied zum Wachwerden?
    • It was performed by Aleksandra Maslovaric on violin and Tania Fleischer on piano.
    • You can find more information about it here: [1]