Gothard Stier

Conductor

The German conductor and singer, Gothart Stier, received his early musical education as a member of the Stadtsingechor Halle, one of the oldest boys' choirs in Germany. In 1963, after intensive private voice training and studies of church music at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Conservatory in Leipzig, he became cantor and organist at the Friedenskirche Leipzig, a post that he held until 1991. Under his direction, the Friedenskantorei became a well known oratorio choir, famous throughout Leipzig and the German Democratic Republic (DDR) for its regular performances at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig of the main oratorio works from J.S. Bach to Verdi.

In parallel, Gothart Stier pursued a solo career as a well known guest singer in many countries throughout the world. Recordings for radio, television and records (CD’s) with works by composers from Heinrich Schütz to Arnold Schoenberg and Theodorakis document the wide repertoire of the singer and conductor Gothart Stier.

After the death of Karl Richter, he spent a year as guest conductor of the famous Munich Bach-Choir and the Munich Bach-Orchestra. This successful work made him well known in West Germany and led to invitations as guest conductor from several German radio choirs.

Under the direction of Gothart Stier, the Stadtsingechor Halle and the Philharmonic State Orchestra Halle made their first concert tour of Spain in 1990 with Georg Frideric Handel's Messiah.

In 1991 Gothart Stier was appointed as 27^th Kreuzkantor in Dresden and conducted the famous Dresdner Kreuzchor until spring 1994. Successful concert tours with this choir took him to Israel, Canada and Spain. For the oratorio performances he worked with the Philharmonic Orchestra Dresden and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Two CD’s of sacred music document his work with this famous boys' choir.

In May 1994, he conducted the Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg to great success in the St. Petersburg Easter Music Festival in place of the ailing Jürgen Jürgens. Following Jürgen Jürgens' death in August 1994, he was invited to become the new artistic director of the Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg.

Since August 1995 has also been artistic director of the Robert-Franz-Singakademie Halle. Gothart Stier is a member of the board of the Neue Bachgesellschaft. In November 2003, in addition to his work with the Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg and the Robert-Franz-Singakademie, he became director of music of the Stadtsingechor Halle, one of the oldest German boys’ choirs.