Hildegard Schön, conductor, Munich, vita, biography

Hildegard Schön

Hildegard Schön, born in Burglengenfeld in 1978, is a conductor and musicologist. Her spectrum of musical interests extends from historically informed performance via New Music through to film music. She has a broad repertoire of classical and romantic works. Hildegard Schön has made a name for herself with her exciting and forward-looking programmes, resulting in varied concerts including numerous world first and first performances, e.g. by Frank Michael Beyer, Bettina Skrzypczak, Olga Neuwirth, Eric Ewazen, Dorothea Hofmann and Konstantia Gourzi.

Contrasting with Hildegard Schön’s involvement in New Music is her commitment to film music. Under her conductorship, the Erste Bayerische Filmfoniker, an orchestra of film and TV programme makers from Bavaria, has developed into a much-acclaimed ensemble. There have been concerts and performances in the Court Church of All Saints at the Munich Residenz, at the final concert of the 2010 Munich Film Festival in the Arri studios and at the “Film Music Night”. The orchestra under Hildegard Schön’s direction has also recorded several pieces of film music – most recently for the award-winning documentary film “plug&pray”.

Hildegard Schön has conducted numerous ensembles, including the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bad Reichenhaller Philharmonie, the Pärnu City Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Festival Ensemble, and the ensemble oktopus. With the “Ensemble CrossRoads” that she herself founded, Hildegard Schön explores smaller, unconventional combinations of instruments. The focus here is on the cooperation of contemporary music with other disciplines such as film and natural science.

Hildegard Schön has a special interest in teaching work with laypersons and in music education. Thanks to her teaching skills and her infectious musicality, the conductor succeeds in bringing the best out of her ensembles while generating enthusiasm for music among her audience.

Hildegard Schön has passed the 1st State Examination for teaching music at grammar schools as well as several years’ experience of lecturing at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts and Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich.

March 2011