Lachenmann

An adventurer of contemporary music is turning 90, and that calls for a celebration! Helmut Lachenmann has shaped New Music with his spirit of discovery and love of experimentation. A variety of his contemporaries pay tribute to the birthday boy

Helmut Lachenmann
Helmut Lachenmann © lebrecht music and arts photo library

Oh yes, Helmut Lachenmann loves adventure! He is the type of traveller who leaves the beaten track and sets off in search of the unheard – even at the age of 89. He has been questioning and revolutionising our listening habits since the 1960s, bursting with imagination and sometimes rubbing people up the wrong way. Time after time Lachenmann reinvents traditional instruments, discovers unexpected sounds and playing styles and makes the world of sounds his own as material for his creations. Today, Helmut Lachenmann is considered the most important living German composer. On the occasion of his 90th birthday on 27 November 2025, long-time companions will celebrate him and his music in four concerts.

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