Siegfried Thiele

Siegfried Thiele (; 28March 193424November 2024) was a German composer. From 1990 to 1997, he was rector of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig where he had begun teaching in 1962. He composed an extended work for soloists, choir and orchestra for the opening of the new Leipzig Gewandhaus in 1981, which was conducted by Kurt Masur.

Life and career Thiele was born in Chemnitz on 28 March 1934, the son of a craftsman. He created his first compositions at age twelve. He had music lessons with Werner Hübschmann and Gustav William Meyer and took part in the studio choir of the Volksbühne Chemnitz, directed by Paul Kurzbach. He was re-elected in this function for a second term, until 1997. In 2001 he was appointed Honorary Senator of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig.

Thiele died in Leipzig on 24 November 2024, at the age of 90.

Awards

1966: für Musik 1979: Kunstpreis der Stadt Leipzig 1983: Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic 2002: Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony of the Freistaat Sachsen