A lot-loved pianist and conductor Lars Vogt dies after most cancers analysis, aged 51

6 September 2022, 12:30

The German musician died at dwelling surrounded by household, after being identified with most cancers in early 2021.

The German pianist and conductor Lars Vogt has died aged 51, on the afternoon of Monday 5 September 2022, his administration have confirmed. Vogt was identified with most cancers in early 2021, after medical doctors discovered tumours on his throat and liver.

In an interview with VAN Journal in Could 2021, simply months after his analysis, Vogt recalled that his medical doctors couldn’t give him a prognosis, however instructed him, “On the finish of the day, the tumour will restrict your life.”

Vogt was born in Düren, Germany, in 1970, and gained his first nice public success in 1990, when he gained second prize on the Leeds Worldwide Piano Competitors.

Since then, Vogt’s illustrious profession has taken him to live performance halls throughout the globe, sharing the stage with a few of the world’s biggest orchestras.

A eager chamber musician and performer, Vogt based his personal chamber competition, ‘Spannungen’ in June 1998. Vogt remained its creative director since founding the competition 24 years in the past, curating the live performance collection which is held yearly in a former hydroelectric energy station in Heimbach, close to Cologne.

As a pianist, Vogt has appeared on stage with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Vienna, London and New York Philharmonic orchestras, and London, Chicago and Boston Symphony orchestras.

Vogt had a very shut relationship to the Berlin Philharmonic, having been appointed the orchestra’s first ever pianist in residence for the 2003/04 season.

A decade later, in Could 2014, Lars Vogt was introduced by the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Basic FM’s Orchestra in North-East England, as its subsequent music director, taking impact in September 2015. After a profitable five-year tenure, Vogt stayed on as principal creative associate from 2020 till his demise in 2022.

Vogt had just lately taken up the mantle as music director of the Orchestre de chambre de Paris starting within the 2020/21 season. The contract was initially deliberate to final three years, however the orchestra introduced an extension to Vogt’s time period in December 2021 which might see him stay within the function till June 2025.

Vogt was a prolific recording artist, releasing extremely acclaimed recordings for EMI, Avi Music and Ondine, and successful the distinguished Opus Klassik award in 2021. He was additionally nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 within the Greatest Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Efficiency class for his recording of Brahms’ piano trios alongside violinist Christian Tetzlaff and cellist Tanja Tetzlaff.

Outdoors of his performing and recording profession, Vogt was a robust advocate for accessible music training, establishing an academic programme known as ‘Rhapsody in College’ which entered the curricula in Germany and Austria, aiming to forge connections between younger musicians and their world-class counterparts.

Vogt spoke brazenly about his analysis and expertise residing with most cancers, saying that receiving the information had given him a brand new appreciation for the bizarre parts of life. He instructed VAN journal: “Going to the grocery store with my spouse, the youngsters working round and goofing off, sitting on the piano and studying a brand new Brahms piece.”

He managed to maintain taking part in via his chemotherapy, saying that there was an upright piano within the most cancers ward the place he obtained therapy, and a grand piano within the palliative ward.

Chatting with Zsolt Bognar on an episode of Residing the Classical Life, Vogt says he instructed his medical doctors, “I like taking part in the piano however I want to be alive”.

Musicians have been paying their respects to Vogt on Twitter, together with cellist Steven Isserlis, who wrote: “Past unhappy that we now have misplaced our beloved Lars Vogt. It’s unimaginable to think about a extra warm-hearted, life-loving being – he’ll go away an unlimited gap within the lives of all his pals and colleagues, to not point out his household.”

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani additionally tweeted: “I learnt about 20 minutes earlier than I used to be to go on stage tonight that my pal Lars Vogt had … gone to satisfy his maker. Godspeed, my expensive Lars. If I handle to guide life as you probably did, we’ll ultimately play that C.P.E. Bach double concerto to the composer himself”.

Fellow pianist, Víkingur Ólaffson, shared a poignant textual content Vogt had despatched him, simply earlier than Ólaffson went on stage to carry out, two weeks previous to Vogt’s demise. The message reads: “Benefit from the music. Every thing is so fragile. It’s not a provided that we are able to make that music”.

Vogt leaves behind his spouse, violinist Anna Reszniak, and their three youngsters.