Gregor Widholm

Gregor Widholm (* 1948 in Gaenserndorf ) is an Austrian scientist and musician. He is a professor, Head of Institute, Institute for Viennese Sound Style from 2007 to 2012, he was Vice Rector of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Education and work

Gregor Widholm studied " concert French horn " with Prof. Friedrich Gabler at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (then: Academy of Music in Vienna ), " Communications" at the Technical University of Vienna (then: Technical University of Vienna) and completed in 1968 - 1970 also in Vienna a special course on " sound ".

1971-2007 he was a member of the Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper. In 1979 he became an assistant at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and was appointed Professor of Musical Acoustics 1999 ( first chair for this subject in Austria ). He works since then in various academic functions at his university.

Artistic activity

As part of his orchestral activities at the Volksoper in Vienna, he denied some 5,000 opera and operetta performances as well as numerous concerts and operas in Italy (Rome), Switzerland ( Zurich ), Netherlands (Amsterdam, The Hague ), USA ( New York), Japan ( Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, etc. ), Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok ), etc. Numerous recordings with Polygram, German Grammophon, EMI, etc., with artists such as L. Pavarotti, Domingo P., E. Gruberova, E. Mathis, etc.

From 1974-1986 he was a member of the Capella Academica Wien and the Ensemble Eduard Melkus. In this time, the intensive study of the natural horn and historical performing and gaming practices and mainly chamber music and solo activities falls. Concerts - part solo - in Vienna, Munich, Prague, Budapest, Rome, Milan, Venice, London, Oxford, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, etc. Numerous recordings - part, solo - for the German Grammophon, Amadeo, Nippon Columbia etc.

Management activities

In 1978 he founded the Concert Association " Vienna Volksoper Orchestra " which he was the manager until 1986. In this framework were made including the first occurrence of a European orchestra in Singapore, the first occurrence of an Austrian orchestra in Thailand (Bangkok ), the first concert tour of the Vienna Volksoper Orchestra to the Far East, the first-time Bespielung of State Opera and Volksoper in the summer and around 30 recording projects for the Vienna Volksoper Orchestra. In addition, he was from 1974 to 1991 Managing Director of Capella Academica Wien for which he established two independent cycles of concerts in Vienna and led. In the scientific field, he organized numerous international scientific symposia and conferences, including the 92nd and 122nd AES Convention in Vienna with around 10,000 participants and 200 scientific presentations as well as the design and content organization of numerous exhibitions and interactive computer installations. Head of the center of gravity "Art & Health " of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Scientific activity

1979 Gregor Widholm was commissioned to build the Institute for Viennese Sound Style ( Musical Acoustics ) as a scientific research institute and institutional assistance for musicians and instrument makers. He then led the first digital measuring methods of musical instruments and is considered the founder of the musical acoustics in Austria. Under his leadership, the world's first computer system for " diagnosis and treatment " of brass instruments was developed, which is now regarded as an international standard and is in use worldwide. Computer systems for assessing the quality of stringed instruments and woodwinds followed. His central concern is the " harnessing " of findings from high-tech research for professional music and instrument making. 1999 called it the New York Times as "Mr. Wizard " for instrumentalists.

Over 80 presentations at international conferences and symposia, as well as around 90 publications in national and international journals, encyclopedias and books. Several publications have been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish and Japanese language. Project of 8 funded scientific research projects in the field of musical acoustics.

Memberships in international scientific associations: Acoustical Society of America (ASA ), European Acoustics Association ( EAA), Audio Engineering Society (AES ), the International Commission of Acoustics (ICA ), Life Member of the International Horn Society (IHS ), Historic Brass Society ( HBS), International Trumpet Guild (ITG ), catgut Acoustical Society (CAS ), Founder and President and Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Austrian Musical Acoustics acoustics Association (AAA ); Co-founder and member of the Technical Committee acoustics of the Austrian Physical Society ( ÖPG ).

Publications (selection )

• G. Widholm: Antonio Stradivari Ex Benvenuti 1727 In: . Vol. 10 of the series of the Institute for Viennese Sound Style. Vienna 2011, ISBN 978-3-900914-08-0.
• G. Widholm: Viennese Sound Style. In: R. Flotzinger (ed.): Austrian music lexicon. vol. 5 of the Austrian publishing. D Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2006, ISBN 3-7001-3042-2, pp. 2653-2654.
• G. Widholm: Viennese Sound: Traditional totaled or actual reality? Leo S. Olschki MMIV Editore, 2004, ISBN 88-222-5337- X, pp. 101-110.
• G. Widholm: The Horn. In: R. Flotzinger (ed.): Austrian music lexicon. vol. 2 of the Austrian publishing house. Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2003, ISBN 3-7001-3044-9, pp. 797-800.
• G. Widholm: Viennese specialties - characteristics of Viennese orchestral instruments. In: The Orchestra. Vol 50, No. 9, Schott Publishing International, 2002, pp. 25-32.
• G. Widholm: The scientific realities. In: The violin. ( Eduard Melkus ). Schott Publishing International. Mainz 2000, ISBN 3-7957-2359-0, pp. 33-43.
• G. Widholm: Influence of valve mechanism on the microstructure of slurs played with brass wind instruments. In: Proc. Institute of Acoustics, Vol 19, Part 5, St. Albans 1997, pp. 407-412.
• G. Widholm: Horns: V. acoustics of the horn instruments. In: Ludwig Finscher music in past and present. ( MGG ), part 4 Barenreiter, Kassel 1996, ISBN 3-7618-1105-5, pp. 395-416.
• G. Widholm: the Vienna horn. Its sound - his technique. in: PRINCE, Paul W. (ed.), The State of musicians in Austria. Presentations of music symposiums in the castle courtyard from 1989 to 1993. Institute for Viennese Sound Style. Vienna 1994, pp. 99-112. ISBN 3-900914-00-1.
• G. Widholm: The Viennese oboe as part of a specific orchestral concept. in: PRINCE, Paul W. (ed.), The State of musicians in Austria. Presentations of music symposiums in the castle courtyard from 1989 to 1993. Institute for Viennese Sound Style. Vienna 1994, pp. 169-176. ISBN 3-900914-00-1.