Konrad Boehmer


Konrad Boehmer was a German-Dutch composer, educator, and writer.

Life

Boehmer was born in Berlin. A self-declared member of the Darmstadt School, he studied composition in Cologne with Karlheinz Stockhausen and Gottfried Michael Koenig, and philosophy, sociology, and musicology at the University of Cologne, where he received a PhD in 1966. After receiving his doctorate, he settled in Amsterdam, working until 1968 at the Institute for Sonology, Utrecht University. In 1972, he was appointed professor of music history and theory at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

Musical style

His compositions characteristically employ serial organization or montage, sometimes with elements of jazz and rock music. In other works, such as Canciones del camino and Lied uit de vert, Marxist songs serve as basic material.
In 2001, the Holland Festival commissioned Boehmer to write a composition for the rock band Sonic Youth, which they performed at both concerts during that festival in the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. It was the band in its period.

Death

On 10 August 2014, while on holiday in the south of France, he suffered a cerebral infarction. He was taken to Amsterdam, where he died on 4 October 2014.

Selected compositions