Ernst Rudorff

Full biography Ernst Rudorff

Ernst Rudorff was a German composer, conductor, and pianist who lived from 1840 to 1916. He was born into a family of musicians and showed an early talent for music, studying piano with Friedrich Kiel in Berlin. He later studied composition with Felix Mendelssohn and Julius Rietz at the Leipzig Conservatory.

Rudorff went on to have a successful career as a composer, writing works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, and solo piano. His A Major String Sextet, Op. 5, is particularly notable and was praised by music critic Wilhelm Altmann as a work of great beauty and elegance.

In addition to his work as a composer, Rudorff was also actively involved in the performance of music. He served as a conductor in various cities throughout Germany, including Berlin, Leipzig, and Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland).

Rudorff was also involved in music education, teaching at the Rheinische Musikschule in Cologne and the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. Among his notable pupils were Clara Mathilda Faisst, a German pianist and composer, and the Lithuanian-American pianist and composer Leopold Godowsky.

Overall, Rudorff was a significant figure in German music during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His compositions and performances helped to shape the musical landscape of his time, and his influence can be seen in the work of many later composers and performers.