Photo: Kathinka Pasveer / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Stockhausen fascinates me precisely because he's so hard to fully grasp. He didn't just write music, he rethought what music could be, pioneering electronic and spatial sound in ways that still feel radical. The fact that he earned the Ernst von Siemens Prize and major honors while remaining genuinely divisive tells me he never softened to win approval. His Licht cycle, seven operas written over decades, is an almost insane act of ambition. I won't pretend I understand all of it, but that's exactly why he compels me. He's a giant I'd rather wrestle with than dismiss, a true visionary of the twentieth century.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Karlheinz Stockhausen
- Name (Japanese)
- カールハインツ・シュトックハウゼン
- Reading
- かーるはいんつ・しゅとっくはうぜん
- Born
- August 22, 1928 – December 5, 2007
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Dragon
- Origin
- Mödrath, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / musicologist / music educator / music theorist / university teacher
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Bonn
Awards & achievements
- 1974 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1992 Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia
- 1995 Bach Prize of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
- 1986 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Mixtur | — | |
| Notable work | Jubilee | — | |
| Notable work | Momente | — | |
| Notable work | Solo | — | |
| Notable work | Licht | — | |
| Notable work | Klang | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Karlheinz Stockhausen born?
August 22, 1928 – December 5, 2007.
Where is Karlheinz Stockhausen from?
Karlheinz Stockhausen is from Mödrath, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
What does Karlheinz Stockhausen do?
Karlheinz Stockhausen works as composer, musicologist, music educator, music theorist, university teacher.
What is Karlheinz Stockhausen known for?
Notable works include Mixtur, Jubilee, Momente.
Composer — see all → · Musicologist — see all → · More people from Germany →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.