Wolfgang Baumgratz

Wolfgang Baumgratz at the Sauer organ at Bremen Cathedral in 2007

Wolfgang Baumgratz
Born	(1948-10-10) 10 October 1948 Meersburg, Germany
Education	Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Heidelberg Hochschule für Musik Freiburg Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Occupations	Organist Academic teacher
Organizations	Bremen Cathedral HfK Bremen

Wolfgang Baumgratz (born 10 October 1948 in Meersburg) is a German organist and academic teacher.

Life

Wolfgang Baumgratz studied organ and sacred music at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Heidelberg and at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg im Breisgau (organ class of Ludwig Doerr). He graduated with a Master's degree in sacred music (1976) and was music director at the Johanneskirche in Merzhausen from 1971 until 1976. Between 1976 and 1978, he studied organ with Albert de Klerk at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as recipient of a scholarship from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), and graduated with a soloist diploma in organ performance in 1978.

In 1979, Baumgratz became organist at Bremen Cathedral, where he succeeded Zsigmond Szathmáry. The following year, he became lecturer of organ at the Hochschule für Künste (HfK) Bremen, and in 1984 was appointed professor of organ performance. In 1989, he became department chair of the HfK sacred music department.

Since 1982, he has been working as organ consultant for the Evangelical Church of Bremen (Bremische Evangelische Kirche). In 1990, he was elected vice president of the Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde (GdO); he was president of the GdO from 1998 until 2013. After his retirement in 2014, he became organist at the Lutheran St. Remberti church in Bremen. Since 2020, he is organist at Immanuel church and the Alte Waller Kirche in Bremen.

Wolfgang Baumgratz has performed throughout Europe and released numerous LP and CD recordings.

Recordings

• Music for organ and violin, guitar, flute, and English horn by Claus Kühnl et al.
• Music by Bach and Händel in romantic organ transcriptions (Die Sauer-Orgel im Bremer Dom).
• Organ Landscape Schleswig/Sonderjylland.
• Romantic organs in Holstein.
• Schnitger organ in Grasberg. Works by Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer.
• Complete organ works by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.
• Organ Landscape Holstein/Lübeck.
• Organ music by women composers (Sauer organ at Bremen Cathedral. Works by Clara Schumann, Elfrida Andrée and Cécile Chaminade).
• Organ music by Georg Philipp Telemann.
• Organ music by the Bach Family.
• The organs of Gottfried Silbermann, Vol. 6. Silbermann organs in Bremen, Mylau, Burgk Castle, and Freiberg.
• Josef Rheinberger: Organ Works, Vol. 7. Sauer organ at Bremen Cathedral.
• Inventions and Sinfonias by Johann Sebastian Bach.
• J. S. Bach: Six Trio Sonatas.
• Organ music by Albert de Klerk.
• Organ concert at Bremen Cathedral: works based on the "Te Deum".
• Jan Janca: Organ works and choral music, Vol. 3 (along with Andreas Sieling).
• Wolfgang Baumgratz plays organ music from four centuries.
• Gottlieb Muffat: Missa in F major and organ works.
• Complete organ works by Robert Schumann.
• Complete organ works by Johannes Brahms.
• Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer: Ariadne Musica.

External links

• Literature by and about Wolfgang Baumgratz in the German National Library catalogue
• Wolfgang Baumgratz discography at Discogs