Siegfried Pank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Siegfried Pank
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Siegfried Pank in 2014, playing a violoncello piccolo
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| Born | 24 March 1936 |
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| Awards | Magdeburg Telemann Prize |
Siegfried Pank (born 24 March 1936) is a German musician. He is famous for playing the cello and the viol. From 1962 to 1980, he was a member of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig. He also toured with the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum. Later, he focused on playing the viol in a style called historically informed performance. This means playing music as it might have sounded when it was first written. From 1984, he taught cello and viol at the Musikhochschule Leipzig. He became a professor there in 1988 and taught until 2001. In 1991, he helped start the International Telemann Association. He became its president in 2012.
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Early Life and Education
Siegfried Pank was born in Salzwedel, Germany. His father was an engineer and loved playing music. Siegfried grew up in Danzig and later moved to Borna in 1944. In Borna, he started taking lessons for piano and cello.
School Days and Music Training
From 1948 to 1952, Siegfried went to Landesschule Pforta. After that, he attended the Thomasschule zu Leipzig until 1954. While there, he was part of the famous Thomanerchor, a boys' choir. Günther Ramin was the conductor of the choir at that time.
University Studies
Siegfried Pank studied cello at the Musikhochschule Leipzig. He learned from August Eichhorn and finished his studies in 1959.
Musical Career
After university, Siegfried Pank got his first job as a solo cellist. He worked at the Carl-Maria-von-Weber-Theater in Bernburg. In 1960, he became the first solo cellist for a new orchestra in Leipzig. This orchestra was part of the Musikalische Komödie.
Playing with the Gewandhaus Orchestra
In 1962, Siegfried Pank joined the famous Gewandhausorchester. This is a very old and respected orchestra in Leipzig. From 1973, he was the deputy solo cellist. He also performed as a solo musician and played in small groups called chamber music ensembles. He toured with the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum.
Discovering the Viol
Two famous musicians, Wieland Kuijken and Jordi Savall, encouraged Siegfried Pank to try playing the viol. The viol is an old string instrument, similar to a cello but played differently. He became very interested in playing music in a "historically informed" way. This means trying to play old music exactly as it was played hundreds of years ago.
Teaching and Research
In 1980, Siegfried Pank left the Gewandhaus Orchestra to focus on teaching. He started teaching at the Musikhochschule Leipzig. He became a lecturer in 1984 and a professor of cello and viol in 1988.
Founding the Early Music Department
In 1991, Professor Pank started a special department at the Musikhochschule. This department focused on "Early Music" (Alte Musik). This is music from the 17th and 18th centuries. He retired in 2001 but continued to teach until 2006.
Workshops and Judging
Siegfried Pank has led many workshops and special classes called master classes. He has also written articles about how to play and understand music from the 1600s and 1700s. He is often a judge at music competitions. These include the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig and the Bach-Abel Competition in Köthen. He also judges at the Magdeburger Telemann-Festtage.
Leading the Telemann Association
In 1991, Siegfried Pank helped create the International Telemann Association. This group helps people learn about and enjoy the music of Georg Philipp Telemann. Telemann was a very important composer. Siegfried Pank became the president of this association in 2012.
Musical Performances
Siegfried Pank has performed in many different musical groups. He played in the Baroque Trio Schwarz/Pank/Becker-Foss. This group included singer Gotthold Schwarz and continuo player Hans Christoph Becker-Foss. He also performed with the Leipziger Concert and the Sächsisches Vocalensemble.
Family Life
Siegfried Pank lives in Markkleeberg, a town near Leipzig. His son, Sebastian Pank, is also a musician. Sebastian started his own record company called Raumklang. This company is located at Schloss Goseck and specializes in recording Early Music.
Awards and Honors
Siegfried Pank has received several awards for his contributions to music.
Brandenburg Bach Society Honorary Prize
On September 10, 2008, he received an Honorary Prize from the Brandenburg Bach Society. This award recognized his artistic work, his research into music, and his teaching. It also honored his dedication to the Bach festival.
Magdeburg Telemann Prize
In 2012, Siegfried Pank received the Magdeburg Telemann Prize. This award was given to him for helping to share the music of Telemann with more people.
Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt
On October 7, 2018, Siegfried Pank received a special honor. The minister-president, Reiner Haseloff, gave him the Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt. This award was presented at the opening of the 7th Bach-Abel Competition.
