Franz-Paul Decker

Franz-Paul Decker (June 22, 1923) is a German-Canadian conductor.

Decker was born in Cologne Germany where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik with Philip Jarnach and Eugen Papst. He made his conducting début at the age of 22 at the Cologne Opera, and four years later was appointed to the Staatsoper, Wiesbaden and subsequently to the positions of conductor of the Wiesbaden Symphony Orchestra and Generalmusikdirecktor in Bochum. In 1948, Decker was introduced to the composer Richard Strauss at a card game of whist. Strauss casually mentioned that he had just finished orchestrating four songs he had recently composed (the Four Last Songs).

Although comfortable conducting virtually any work in the orchestral repertoire, Decker is famous for his mastery and approach to the music of Wagner, Richard Strauss, Anton Bruckner, Reger and Gustav Mahler. His performances of works by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven have been praised for their balance and clarity. His approach to Spanish and South American music is bold and charismatic. He has conducted the world premieres of dozens of orchestral works by Canadian composers, and has conducted 85 different operas during his distinguished career.

Decker was Music Director of the Municipal Orchestra of Bochum (1956-1964), the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1967), the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1967-1975), the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (1985-1991), and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He served as Artistic Advisor to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (1975-1977) and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (1980-1982). He was Principal Guest Conductor of Ottawa's National Arts Centre Orchestra (1991-1999) and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (2003-2004).

He has worked with soloists as diverse as Artur Rubinstein, Emil Gilels, Shura Cherkassky, Clara Haskil, Ida Haendel, Hélène Grimaud, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jessye Norman, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and Jon Vickers. His television broadcast of a Christmas concert with Luciano Pavarotti and orchestra, filmed at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal in the 1980s, is broadcast annually around the world.

Links

* [http://www.naxos.com/conductorinfo/69.htm Franz-Paul Decker biography] at Naxos Records
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0000910 Franz-Paul Decker biography] at the "Encyclopedia of Music in Canada"