German Violinist Eberhard Wangemann has Died, aged 104

Wangemann was a long-serving violinist in the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Born in Leipzig in 1920, Eberhard Wangemann served in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the DSO-Berlin — the latter he joined in 1955 under its former moniker, the RIAS Symphonie Orchester.

In a tribute to the violinist, the DSO shared that "his decision to move from the Berlin Philharmonic to the then RIAS Symphony Orchestra in October 1955 was a courageous one, as the orchestra's existence was anything but secure."

"No one has been as committed to today's DSO for as long and as intensely as Eberhard Wangemann," the statement reads.

In 1962, he was elected to the orchestra's board of directors and was eventually made chairman. He was involved in securing the orchestra's continued existence through the cooperation of public broadcasting and the public sector — the model which guarantees the existence of the four ensembles in the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre gGmbH (ROC) to this day.

As a representative of the orchestra, he was a member of the board of trustees from 1977 until his retirement. He was also involved in deciding on Riccardo Chailly as chief conductor and Peter Ruzicka as artistic director.

In 1984, Eberhard Wangemann was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his artistically committed and successful work. After the 1984/1985 season, he retired and was made an honorary member of the DSO. He remained closely connected to the orchestra.

"With his enormous knowledge, experience and precise memory, he was an ideal chronicler; at crucial turning points, he commented on the history of the orchestra, not nostalgically, but always with a focus on the present and the future potential of the orchestra," the DSO continued. "He was as meticulous in doing so as he was in making music. Poor research and negligence were always a nuisance to him. He advised and advised whenever he was asked.

"He regularly attended the DSO concerts whenever he could, in Block A, Row 12, on an equal footing with 'his' orchestra."

Our condolences to Mr. Wangemann's family, friends, and colleagues.