Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt or historically Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt; was an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the Classical era and earlier.
27 Facts About Nikolaus Harnoncourt
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Around 1970, Harnoncourt began conducting opera and concert performances, soon leading international symphony orchestras, and appearing at leading concert halls, operatic venues and festivals.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt was the author of several books, mostly on subjects of performance history and musical aesthetics.
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Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt was born as an Austrian citizen in Berlin, Germany, in 1929.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt's father, Eberhard Harnoncourt, born de la Fontaine Graf d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt, was an Austrian engineer working in Berlin who had two children from a previous marriage.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt was raised in Graz, and studied music in Vienna.
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At the Vienna Music Academy, Nikolaus Harnoncourt studied cello with Paul Grummer and Emanuel Brabec, and learned viola da gamba.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt was a cellist with the Vienna Symphony from 1952 to 1969.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt played the viola da gamba at this time, as well as the cello.
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One reason that Nikolaus Harnoncourt left the Vienna Symphony was to become a conductor.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt made his conducting debut at La Scala, Milan, in 1970, leading a production of Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt made the first recordings in historically informed performance of Bach's Mass in B minor and St Matthew Passion.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt later performed with many orchestras performing on modern instruments, but retaining considerations for historical authenticity in terms of tempi and dynamics, among other issues.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt expanded his repertoire, continuing to play the baroque works, but championing the Viennese operetta repertoire.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt made a benchmark recording of Beethoven's symphonies with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and recorded Beethoven's piano concertos with Pierre-Laurent Aimard and the COE.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt was a guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic and made several recordings with the orchestra.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt directed the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day concerts in 2001 and 2003.
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In 1992, Nikolaus Harnoncourt debuted at the Salzburg Festival conducting a concert with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt served as the conductor for major opera productions of the Festival: L'incoronazione di Poppea, Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and La clemenza di Tito, and Purcell's King Arthur.
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In 2012, Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducted a new production of Die Zauberflote staged by Jens-Daniel Herzog.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt made his guest-conducting debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam in 1975.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt continued as a guest conductor with the orchestra, including in several opera productions and recordings.
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On 5 December 2015, one day before his 86th birthday, Nikolaus Harnoncourt announced his retirement via his website.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt was the focus of the annual festival of classical music Styriarte, founded in 1985 to tie him closer to his hometown, Graz.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt met his wife Alice through their mutual interest in historically informed performances of Baroque music and co-founded the Concentus Musicus Wien.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt died on 5 March 2016 in the village of Sankt Georgen im Attergau, north east of Salzburg.
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Nikolaus Harnoncourt was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and of the Order Pour le Merite for Science and Art, and an Honorary Doctor of the University of Edinburgh.