{{short description|German violinist, pianist and composer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Kolja Lessing | image = | image_upright = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|10|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Karlsruhe, West Germany | death_date = | death_place = | education = | occupation = {{plainlist| * Violinist * Pianist * Composer * Academic teacher }} | organizations = {{plainlist| * Hochschule für Musik Würzburg * University of Music and Theatre Leipzig * State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart }} | awards = {{plainlist| * Johann Wenzel Stamitz Preis * Deutscher Kritikerpreis * Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany }} }} '''Kolja Lessing''' (born 15 October 1961) is a German violinist, pianist, composer and academic teacher. His focus as a soloist and chamber musician has been the neglected repertoire by composers who were ostracised under the Nazi regime. His recordings include four volumes of works by students of Franz Schreker in his master classes in Vienna and Berlin.
Lessing has taught violin at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg and the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig, and has been professor at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart from 2000. He has been awarded numerous honours, especially for his dedication to the music of neglected composers.
== Life == Lessing was born in Karlsruhe. He received his basic music education from his mother.<ref name="Stuttgart" /> From 1978, he attended the violin master class of Hansheinz Schneeberger in Basel.<ref name="Stuttgart" /><ref name="Bechstein" /> There, he also studied piano with Peter Efler from 1979. He passed his concert examinations in 1982 and 1983. He also received formative impulses through his collaboration with Berthold Goldschmidt, Ignace Strasfogel and Zoltán Székely.<ref name="Stuttgart" />
As a professor of violin, he taught at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg from 1989 to 1993, at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig from 1993, and followed a call to the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart in 2000.<ref name="Stuttgart" /> From 1998 to 2015, he was a regular guest lecturer at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.<!-- Since 2011, he has been working with the Israeli writer Elazar Benyoëtz.<ref>[https://www.kairos-music.com/artists/kolja-lessing Kolja Lessing] on KAIROS</ref> - will see, cite doesn't support it-->
Lessing has performed worldwide as a violinist and pianist, also giving musicological lectures and master classes at European and North American universities.<ref name="Bechstein" /><ref name="Musikhochschule" />
Lessing has dedicated to wide-ranging repertoire, with a focus on works by composers who were ostracised under the Nazi regime, including Franz Schreker and his circle of students.<ref name="Schott" /> He revived stylistically different compositions for solo violin by Haim Alexander, Tzvi Avni, Abel Ehrlich, Jacqueline Fontyn, David Paul Graham, Ursula Mamlok, Krzysztof Meyer, Klaus Hinrich Stahmer, Hans Vogt.<ref name="Schott" /> Berthold Goldschmidt composed a work for him that he premiered. As a violinist and a pianist, he premiered compositions including the piano concerto ''Rivages solitaires'' by Jacqueline Fontyn, Rudolf Hindemith's Suite, Ignace Strasfogel's ''A Child's Day'', the violin concertos by Haim Alexander, Sidney Corbett's ''Yael'', works by Abel Ehrlich and Stefan Hippe, Zoltán Székely's Allegro, ''A une Madone'' by Dimitri Terzakis, and ''Le Violon de la Mort'' by Grete von Zieritz.<ref name="Musikhochschule" />
== Recordings == Lessing has recorded extensively both with violin and piano, including numerous first and complete recordings, also with a focus on neglected composers. He made a series of four CDs of music by composers who studied with Schreker, both as violinist and as pianist.<ref name="Richter" /> * Johann Paul von Westhoff: Complete Suites for Solo Violin (Capriccio)<ref name="Musikhochschule" /> * Georg Philipp Telemann: 12 Fantasias for Solo Violin (Capriccio)<ref name="Musikhochschule" /> * Ernst von Gemmingen: Complete Violin Concertos (cpo)<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/ernst-von-gemmingen-violin-concertos-nos-1-2-mr0003602003 Kolja Lessing / Ulf Schirmer / Munich Radio Orchestra / Ernst von Gemmingen: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2] Allmusic</ref><ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/ernst-von-gemmingen-violin-concertos-3-4-fran%C3%A7ois-joseph-gossec-symphony-op-62-mw0002899985 Kolja Lessing / Ulf Schirmer / Munich Radio Orchestra / Ernst von Gemmingen: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 4] Allmusic</ref> * Carl Czerny: The Art of Preluding, Op. 300 (cpo)<ref>Rucker, Patrick: [https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/czerny-piano-works-zhao-lessing Czerny Piano Works (Zhao. Lessing)] Gramophone October 2019</ref> * Max Reger: Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra, Göttingen Symphony Orchestra, cond: Christoph-Mathias Mueller (telos music)<ref name="Mabille" /><ref name="Dixon" /> * Reger: Complete chamber music with Clarinet (Oehms)<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/max-reger-integrale-kammermusik-f%C3%BCr-klarinette-mw0002960986 Stephan Siegenthaler / Leipziger Streichquartett / Kolja Lessing / Max Reger: Integrale Kammermusik für Klarinette] AllMusic</ref> <!--* Berthold Goldschmidt: Complete Piano Works (various labels) * Vladimir Rudolfovich Vogel: Complete Piano Works (Gramola)--> * Ignace Strasfogel: Complete Piano Works (Decca)<ref>Rucker, Patrick: [https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/strasfogel-piano-works Strasfogel Piano Works] Gramophone March 1998</ref> <!--* Ursula Mamlok: Violin Sonatas and Aphorisms I (Bridge Records)--> * Franz Reizenstein: Solo Sonatas for Piano, Viola and for Violin (eda records)<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/franz-reizenstein-solo-sonatas-mw0001858364 Kolja Lessing / Franz Reizenstein: Solo Sonatas] AllMusic</ref> * ''Franz Schreker's Masterclasses in Vienna and Berlin'', vol. 1-4, with works by Karol Rathaus, Jerzy Fitelberg, Grete von Zieritz, Wilhelm Grosz, Vladas Jakubėnas, Berthold Goldschmidt, Zdenka Ticharich, Kurt Fiebig, Alexander Ecklebe, Felix Petyrek, {{ill|Hugo Herrmann|de|Hugo Herrmann (Musiker)}}, Leon Klepper and Isco Thaler (eda records)<ref name="Richter" /><ref name="Lewis" />
== Compositions == Compositions by Lessing are held by the German National Library, including:<ref name="DNB" /> * Sonata for clarinet solo 1978 <!--* ''The Disquieting Muses'' (after Giorgio de Chirico) for violin solo 1978/79 * ''Metaphysical Muse in a Street Illuminated by the Evening Sun'' for violin solo 1979--> * Two duos for clarinet and violin: ''The Journey into the Unknown'' 1979, ''The Beauty of a Dream'' 1980 <!--* ''Frozen Time'' for two clarinets and violin 1980 * Meditation for violin solo 1982--> * ''Gliding Figures'' for flute and viola 1998 * ''Sinking Mists'' for flute and alto flute 1998 <!--* ''Ravelesken'' for two violins 2006/07-->
Lessing wrote cadenzas to Mozart's violin concertos K. 218 and K. 219, and to all violin concertos by Ernst von Gemmingen.<ref name="DNB" /> <!--== Arrangements == * Tzvi Avni: ''Pas de deux'' (violin and piano) arranged for violin and string orchestra * Claude Debussy: ''La sérénade interrompue'' (''Préludes I'') arranged for violin and guitar-->
== Awards == <!--* Prize of Musikkredit Basel for the composition ''Die Schönheit eines Traumes'' (1980) * 1992 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik--> * 1999 {{ill|Johann-Wenzel-Stamitz-Preis|de}}, special prize for his commitment to ostracised Jewish composers<ref name="Stuttgart" /> * 2008 Deutscher Kritikerpreis<ref name="Stuttgart" /> <!--* 2008 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik--> * 2015 Otto-Hirsch-Auszeichnung of Stuttgart<ref name="Stuttgart" /> * 2020 Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his merit for ostracised composers<ref name="Richter" /> <!--* 2020 {{Ill|Deutscher Musikeditionspreis|de}}-->
== References == {{Reflist | refs =
<ref name="Dixon">{{cite web | last = Dixon | first = Gavin | url = http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Mar12/Reger_VC_TLS097.htm | title = Max Reger (1873-1916) / Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra | website = musicweb-international.com | date = March 2012 | access-date = 11 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Lewis">{{cite web | last = Louis | first = Uncle Dave | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/franz-schrekers-masterclasses-in-vienna-and-berlin-vol-3-mw0001855630 | title = Kolja Lessing / Franz Schreker's Masterclasses in Vienna and Berlin, Vol. 3 | website = AllMusic | date = | language = fr | access-date = 11 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Mabille">{{cite web | last = Mabille | first = Olivier | url = https://www.resmusica.com/2011/08/25/le-concerto-de-reger-une-grande-oeuvre-ignoree/ | title = Le concerto de Reger : une grande œuvre ignorée | website = resmusica.com | date = 25 August 2011 | language = fr | access-date = 4 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Richter">{{cite web | last = Richter | first = Elisabeth | url = https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/anspiel-schrekers-kompositionsklassen-lohnende-raritaeten.2825.de.html?dram:article_id=490269 | title = Schrekers Kompositionsklassen / Lohnende Raritäten | publisher = Deutschlandfunk | date = 6 January 2021 | language = de | access-date = 11 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Bechstein">{{cite web | url = https://www.bechstein.com/en/the-world-of-bechstein/pianists/kolja-lessing/ | title = Kolja Lessing | publisher = Bechstein | date = | access-date = 4 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="DNB">{{cite web | url = https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=simpleSearch&reset=true&cqlMode=true&query=komRef%3D12400508X&selectedCategory=any | title = Compositions by Kolja Lessing | publisher = German National Library | date = | language = de | access-date = 23 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Musikhochschule">{{cite web | url = https://www.hmdk-stuttgart.de/about/academic-and-administration-staff/?no_cache=1&L=1&tx_wtdirectory_pi1%5Bshow%5D=50 | title = Prof. Kolja Lessing / Fach: Violine | publisher = Musikhochschule Stuttgart | date = | language = de | access-date = 10 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Schott">{{cite web | url = https://en.schott-music.com/shop/autoren/kolja-lessing | title = Kolja Lessing | publisher = Schott Music | date = | language = de | access-date = 10 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="Stuttgart">{{cite web | url = http://www.stuttgart.de/item/show/273273/1/9/558805 | title = Musiker Kolja Lessing erhält Otto Hirsch-Auszeichnung | publisher = Stuttgart | date = 26 January 2015 | language = de | access-date = 4 March 2021 | archive-date = 11 March 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160311222138/http://www.stuttgart.de/item/show/273273/1/9/558805 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
}}
== Further reading == * Alain Pâris: ''Klassische Musik im 20. Jahrhundert.'' 2nd edition. DTV, Munich 1997. * Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich: Unser Musikjahrhundert. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg 1999. * Christoph Kammertöns, Siegfried Mauser (ed.): ''Lexikon des Klaviers.'' Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2006. * Ingo Harden, Gregor Willmes: ''Pianisten Profile.'' Bärenreiter, Kassel 2008. * Ulrike Kienzle: ''Die Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft Frankfurt (1956–2016).'' Verlag Frankfurter Bürgerstiftung, Frankfurt, 2016.
== External links == * {{Official|http://www.kolja-lessing.de}} * [https://www.nmz.de/tags/kolja-lessing Kolja Lessing] (articles, in German) Neue Musikzeitung * [http://www.klassik-heute.com/4daction/www_interpret?id=7230&disko Kolja Lessing] (reviews of recordings, in German) klassik-heute.com * {{discogs artist}}
{{authority control}} {{portal bar|Classical Music|Germany}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lessing, Kolja}} Category:1961 births Category:Musicians from Karlsruhe Category:German classical pianists Category:German classical violinists Category:20th-century German classical composers Category:Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg Category:Academic staff of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig Category:Academic staff of the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart Category:Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Category:Living people Category:20th-century German male composers