Mourning for Ulrich Leyendecker

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The composer and university lecturer Ulrich Leyendecker, who taught at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama for many years, died on November 29, 2018 at the age of 72

Born in Wuppertal, Leyendecker initially studied composition and piano at the Cologne University of Music. He was a professor at the HfMT from 1981 to 1994 and then at the Mannheim University of Music until 2005. His catalog of works includes orchestral works as well as chamber and piano music and vocal music compositions in a wide variety of ensemble formations.

Based on the Second Viennese School, Ulrich Leyendecker developed his own style in the 1970s, which countered the prevailing constraints of serialism with an unorthodox and unacademic modernity. Leyendecker's music is considered exceptionally versatile and, according to his publisher, was very popular with performers of all instrumental genres: "Few other composers of his generation have developed a style so stringently and consistently."
The wide arcs of his music, which decisively determine the nature of his creative process, are the means of expression of a compositional style that seeks the big picture without forgetting the attention to detail. Every rhythmic element is precisely coordinated and notated, which requires the utmost precision in performance.

The HfMT's Board of Trustees commemorates his long-time companion and expresses its heartfelt condolences to Ulrich Leyendecker's family.