Photo: OboeCrack / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Heinz Holliger is credited as a conductor, composer and oboist. Heinz Holliger was born on May 21, 1939 in Langenthal, Canton of Berne, Switzerland. The age as of 2026 is 87. Awards on record include Léonie Sonning Music Prize (1987), Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (1991), Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau (2017) and 5 more. Credited works include Partita, Gesänge der Frühe and Schneewittchen.
My Take
Heinz Holliger, born in 1939 and still working, almost annoys me with how much he mastered. Grove Music Online credits him with raising the oboe's whole standing and expanding its repertoire, and that alone would be a career. But he also composes, conducts and plays piano, and the prize list, Léonie Sonning, Ernst von Siemens, is the absolute summit of classical music. Most people would settle for being the world's finest oboist. He treated it as a starting point. As someone who can barely stick with one thing, I find that bottomless curiosity less relatable than awe-inspiring.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Heinz Holliger
- Name (Japanese)
- ハインツ・ホリガー
- Reading
- はいんつ・ほりがー
- Born
- May 21, 1939 (age 87)
- Origin
- Langenthal, Canton of Berne, Switzerland
- Occupation
- conductor / composer / oboist / musicologist / university teacher
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rabbit
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1987 Léonie Sonning Music Prize
- 1991 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
- 2017 Robert Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau
- 2018 Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order
- 2016 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 1988 Frankfurter Musikpreis
- Pour le Mérite
- 2022 Robert Schumann Prize for Poetry and Music
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Partita |
| Notable work | Gesänge der Frühe |
| Notable work | Schneewittchen |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Heinz Holliger born?
Heinz Holliger was born on May 21, 1939 and is 87 years old.
Where is Heinz Holliger from?
Heinz Holliger is from Langenthal, Canton of Berne, Switzerland.
What does Heinz Holliger do?
Heinz Holliger works as conductor, composer, oboist, musicologist, university teacher.
What is Heinz Holliger known for?
Heinz Holliger's notable works include Partita, Gesänge der Frühe, Schneewittchen.
Conductor — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from Switzerland → · More people born on May 21 →