Obituary for Professor Alfons Kontarsky

17.05.2010

German pianist Alfons Kontarsky passed away on May 5, 2010, aged 77. He was a unique artistic personality, giving crucial impetus to the area of new music in particular. Together with his brother Aloys, he won the piano duet prize at the ARD International Music Competition in 1995. He also premiered and recorded numerous works by contemporary composers and ran numerous international master classes for new music. Alfons Kontarsky, who was a professor at Cologne University of Music, the University for Music and Performing Arts in Munich and the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, for his achievements.

Professor Kontarsky’s death is a great loss to the world of music and the Telekom Beethoven Competition. As a highly-valued member of the jury for the 2005 competition, he made a key contribution to raising its profile.

We shall always remember him with gratitude.

Professor Pavel Gililov
Artistic Director and Chairman of the Jury
Telekom Beethoven Competition