Born in Weißwasser, Wenzel first received a violin education at the University of Rostock. From 1957 to 1962 he studied conducting and musical composition with Ruth Zechlin at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin. From 1962 to 1965 he was ballet conductor and répétiteur at the. In 1965 Wenzel became musical director at the. In 1969 he changed again to the Landestheater as conductor and composer. In 1976 he founded the. The classes still exist today in Halle, Dresden, Magdeburg and Zeitz. Children and young people are accompanied there in the creative, compositional handling of sheet music and work together with musicians on their first own pieces. From 1978 to 1988 he was conductor of the Staatskapelle Halle. From 1988 Hans Jürgen Wenzel worked as a freelance composer and conductor in Berlin and Halle, his special commitment was to New Music. He was the founder and director of special ensembles for new music, e.g. the , the and the Ensemble United Berlin. Wenzel was 1989 vice-president of the and its President from 1989 to 1990. From 1990 to 1993, he was the successor of Wolfgang Lesser as head of the Verband Deutscher Komponisten. Since 2000 he has been Honorary Professor at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden, and has also worked as a lecturer in composition at home and abroad. Among his students were Annette Schlünz, Uwe Krause, Karsten Gundermann, Michael Flade and Alexander Keuk. Wenzel died in Halle at the age of 70.
Händel-Pasticcio for 2 actors, mezzo, tape, choir and orchestra 1984–86
Vocal pieces
Schwarze Asche, weiße Vögel, Solo cantata for baritone and string orchestra, 1966/67
DENKMALSTANDORT, chamber oratorio to Prometheus 1982 for speaker, mezzo, bass, child's voice, chamber choir and instruments, texts by various poets, 1981/82
Orchestra and concert works
Concerto for flute and orchestra, 1966
Concerto grosso, 1968
Concerto for cello and orchestra, 1968/69
Train Symphony, 1970
Concerto for large orchestra, 1974
* I. Tardo
* II Pressante
* III Teneraments
Concerto for violin, string orchestra, harpsichord and percussion, 1974
12 exhibition music, 1977-86, including the Schult-Musik, the Eröffnungsmusik and the Trio for
4th string quartet, 1977/81
Approximation, for flute, clarinet, trumpet, 2 cellos and 2 percussionists, 1980
Metallophonie I, exhibition music for metal works of different forms, material and sound possibilities as well as 3 flutes, trumpet, viola and cello, 1981
Double musik I und II, 1983/84
Second Bauhaus music for six wind instruments, 1986