Kurt-Heinz Stolze

Full biography Kurt-Heinz Stolze

Kurt-Heinz Stolze was a German composer, arranger, and conductor who was born in Berlin on August 27, 1929. He was known for his arrangements of classical music, particularly the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and his compositions for films and television. Stolze studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and later at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

Stolze's work as an arranger is perhaps best known for his collaboration with choreographer John Cranko on the ballet "Onegin", which is based on the novel by Alexander Pushkin. Stolze created a new arrangement of Tchaikovsky's music for the ballet, drawing on a wide range of the composer's works and adapting them to fit the story and mood of the ballet. This arrangement has since become a standard part of the ballet repertoire and has been used in productions all over the world.

In addition to his work on "Onegin", Stolze composed many film and television scores throughout his career. Some of his most notable film scores include the music for the 1965 film "The Dirty Game" and the 1971 film "The Cat o' Nine Tails". He also wrote the music for several television movies and miniseries, including "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance".

Stolze was highly regarded as a musician and arranger during his lifetime, and his work continues to be performed and admired today. He died in Munich on December 18, 1970, at the age of 41.