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 on March 24, 1936, is a famous German musician. He plays both the cello and the viol. The viol is an older string instrument, like a cello but played differently.
Pank was a member of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig for many years. He also toured with another music group called the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum. Later, he became a professor, teaching cello and viol at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig. He also helped start the International Telemann Association.
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Early Life and Education
Siegfried Pank was born in a town called Salzwedel in Germany. His father was an engineer and loved playing music. Siegfried grew up in Danzig.
In 1944, he moved to Borna. There, he started taking lessons for piano and cello. From 1948 to 1952, he went to a special school called Landesschule Pforta. After that, he attended the Thomasschule zu Leipzig until 1954. During this time, he was part of the famous Thomanerchor, a boys' choir.
Musical Career
Pank studied cello at the Musikhochschule Leipzig. He finished his studies in 1959. His first job was as a solo cellist in a theater orchestra in Bernburg. In 1960, he became the main solo cellist for a new orchestra in Leipzig.
In 1962, Siegfried Pank joined the well-known Gewandhausorchester. He played there until 1980. He was also a deputy solo cellist from 1973. He performed as a soloist and played in small music groups. He traveled with the Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum.
Later, he became very interested in playing the viol. He learned about historically informed performance. This means playing old music using instruments and styles from the time it was written. Famous viol players like Wieland Kuijken and Jordi Savall inspired him.
Teaching and Research
In 1980, Pank left the orchestra to focus on teaching. He started teaching at the Musikhochschule Leipzig. By 1988, he became a professor of cello and viol. In 1991, he helped create a special department there for Early Music. This department focuses on music from older times.
He retired in 2001 but continued to teach until 2006. He has also led many workshops and special classes for musicians. Pank has written about how to play and understand music from the 17th and 18th centuries.
He is also a judge for music competitions. These include the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig. He also judges the Bach-Abel Competition and the Magdeburger Telemann-Festtage.
Telemann Association
Siegfried Pank helped create the International Telemann Association in 1991. This group helps share the music of the composer Georg Philipp Telemann. Pank became the president of this association in 2012.
Chamber Music Performances
Pank has performed in many chamber music groups. One group was the Baroque Trio Schwarz/Pank/Becker-Foss. He also played with the Leipziger Concert and the Sächsisches Vocalensemble.
Siegfried Pank lives in Markkleeberg, near Leipzig. His son, Sebastian Pank, is also a musician. Sebastian started a record company called Raumklang. This company specializes in Early Music.
Awards and Recognition
Siegfried Pank has received several awards for his contributions to music.
- In 2008, he received an Honorary Prize from the Brandenburg Bach Society. This was for his work with Bach's music and his teaching.
- In 2012, he was given the Magdeburg Telemann Prize. This award recognized his efforts to promote Telemann's music.
- In 2018, he received the Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt. This is a high honor from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
