Former Rector Prof. Annerose Schmidt passed away
Prof. Annerose Schmidt
October 5, 1936 – March 10, 2022
The pianist and professor Annerose Schmidt died on March 10, 2022 after a long illness at the age of 85. From 1990 to 1995 she was rector of the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, making her the first woman to hold this position at the School. Her performance as rector after the reunification of Germany ensured the continued existence of the university.
In the turbulent post-reunification period, Prof. Annerose Schmidt rendered invaluable services to the preservation of the university and the affiliated music special school, when these outstanding institutions were suddenly up for financial considerations for merger and shutdown. During the transition period, the rector at the time pushed through a restructuring of the Eisler, which secured the financing and has shaped the profile of the university to this day. The Eisler is the only one of all 24 German music academies that focuses entirely on artistic training.
Annerose Schmidt, born in Wittenberg, began her concert career under the supervision of her father and made her first public appearance at the age of nine. She completed her piano studies in Leipzig and received her concert diploma at the age of twelve, after which she won awards and prizes at international competitions. The pianist has undertaken concert tours around the world and has performed with renowned orchestras and conductors, including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, as well as with Paul Sacher, Hermann Scherchen, Sir Georg Solti and Günther Wand.
With numerous radio and television recordings as well as recordings of classical-romantic repertoire, she made a name for herself as an exceptional German pianist of the post-war generation. From 1987 to 2004, Annerose Schmidt taught a master class as a professor at the Eisler. After more than sixty years of concert activity, she withdrew from the stage and public in 2006 for health reasons.
The university community owes Prof. Annerose Schmidt its deepest gratitude and will always honor her memory.