Karsten Witt
Born on 5th of March 1952 in Hamburg. School in Aachen and Hamburg. From 1971 to 1979 studies of philosophy, mathematics and linguistics in Hamburg and Constance. BA and MA in philosophy, dissertation in philosophy of science ("Theory of Action and Developmental Logic").
First violin lessons at the age of nine. Membership in several youth orchestras. Scholarship for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen/Michigan in 1969. Concertmaster and speaker of the Bundesjugendorchester (National Youth Orchestra) from 1969 to 1973.
Foundation of the Bundesstudentenorchester - Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (National Student Orchestra) in 1974, functioning as its speaker and manager. Participation as violinist until 1980. Managing director of the orchestra from 1979 to 1987 with offices in Freiburg and from 1984 in Frankfurt/Main. Ensemble Modern and the Chamber Orchestra of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie in 1980, with the Ensemble Modern becoming a fully professional orchestra in Frankfurt in 1985, and the Chamber Orchestra following suit in 1987, now under the name of Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie. Foundation of the Deutsche Ensemble Akademie (an association integrating the patrons of all three orchestras) in 1987.
Manager of the German branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music from 1986 to 1990, running the World Music Days in Cologne and Frankfurt in 1987. Managing director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie until 1989 and of the Deutsche Ensemble Akademie and Ensemble Modern until 1991.
General Secretary of the Vienna Konzerthaus from 1991 to 1996. During the same time president of the festival Wien modern, member of the European Concert Halls Organisation (founded in 1991), member of the board of directors of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, of the board of trustees of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and of the Vienna Festival.
Start of the Vienna Spring Festival and the Austrian contemporary music festival Hörgängein 1992, of the early music festival Resonanzen in 1994 and of the Viennese Film and Music festival in 1995. Major renovation plan for the Konzerthaus.
Speaker of the Advisory Committee for the restructuring of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in 1995. Lectures in Cultural Management at the Vienna Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in 1995 and 1996.
President of Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft in Hamburg from 1996 to 1999. Restructuring of the company in 1997/98. Start of cd-pluscore in 1997 and of the 20/21 series in 1998. Celebration of the 100th anniversary of Deutsche Grammophon in 1998.
Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery) in London from 1999 to 2002. Renovation plan for the Royal Festival Hall, master plan for the South Bank Centre, start of the South Bank magazine. Celebration of the 50th birthday of the Royal Festival Hall in 2001.
Member of the commission Culture NRW in Europe, appointed by the minister-president of Northrhine-Westfalia, in 1999/2000
Artistic advisor to the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in 2002. Cooperation with Shaksfin Productions Ltd in Singapore since 2002. Start of the first major Asian contemporary music festival at the National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center in Taipei in 2003/2004.
Start of Karsten Witt Musik Management (artists management, projects, consulting) in February 2004 in Berlin. Since 2005 Artistic Advisor of Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall . 2005 lecturer for Arts Administration at the Zurich University
Governor of the Deutsche Ensemble Akademie since 1999, of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama 2000-2004 and of the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft since 2002. Curator of the newly founded Allianz Kulturstiftung since 2001; start of the International Conductors Academy with the London Philharmonic Orchestra/Kurt Masur and the Philharmonia Orchestra/Christoph von Dohnanyi at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 2003. Governor of the International Artist Managers' Association (IAMA) since 2006
Awards: Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst from the Republic of Austria in 1996, Silbernes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um das Land Wien from the City of Vienna in 1997. Kleinkreuz des Verdienstordens of the Republic of Hungary in 1999.
Born on 5th of March 1952 in Hamburg. School in Aachen and Hamburg. From 1971 to 1979 studies of philosophy, mathematics and linguistics in Hamburg and Constance. BA and MA in philosophy, dissertation in philosophy of science ("Theory of Action and Developmental Logic").
First violin lessons at the age of nine. Membership in several youth orchestras. Scholarship for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen/Michigan in 1969. Concertmaster and speaker of the Bundesjugendorchester (National Youth Orchestra) from 1969 to 1973.
Foundation of the Bundesstudentenorchester - Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (National Student Orchestra) in 1974, functioning as its speaker and manager. Participation as violinist until 1980. Managing director of the orchestra from 1979 to 1987 with offices in Freiburg and from 1984 in Frankfurt/Main. Ensemble Modern and the Chamber Orchestra of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie in 1980, with the Ensemble Modern becoming a fully professional orchestra in Frankfurt in 1985, and the Chamber Orchestra following suit in 1987, now under the name of Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie. Foundation of the Deutsche Ensemble Akademie (an association integrating the patrons of all three orchestras) in 1987.
Manager of the German branch of the International Society for Contemporary Music from 1986 to 1990, running the World Music Days in Cologne and Frankfurt in 1987. Managing director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie until 1989 and of the Deutsche Ensemble Akademie and Ensemble Modern until 1991.
General Secretary of the Vienna Konzerthaus from 1991 to 1996. During the same time president of the festival Wien modern, member of the European Concert Halls Organisation (founded in 1991), member of the board of directors of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, of the board of trustees of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and of the Vienna Festival.
Start of the Vienna Spring Festival and the Austrian contemporary music festival Hörgängein 1992, of the early music festival Resonanzen in 1994 and of the Viennese Film and Music festival in 1995. Major renovation plan for the Konzerthaus.
Speaker of the Advisory Committee for the restructuring of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in 1995. Lectures in Cultural Management at the Vienna Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in 1995 and 1996.
President of Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft in Hamburg from 1996 to 1999. Restructuring of the company in 1997/98. Start of cd-pluscore in 1997 and of the 20/21 series in 1998. Celebration of the 100th anniversary of Deutsche Grammophon in 1998.
Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery) in London from 1999 to 2002. Renovation plan for the Royal Festival Hall, master plan for the South Bank Centre, start of the South Bank magazine. Celebration of the 50th birthday of the Royal Festival Hall in 2001.
Member of the commission Culture NRW in Europe, appointed by the minister-president of Northrhine-Westfalia, in 1999/2000
Artistic advisor to the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in 2002. Cooperation with Shaksfin Productions Ltd in Singapore since 2002. Start of the first major Asian contemporary music festival at the National Chiang Kai Shek Cultural Center in Taipei in 2003/2004.
Start of Karsten Witt Musik Management (artists management, projects, consulting) in February 2004 in Berlin. Since 2005 Artistic Advisor of Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall . 2005 lecturer for Arts Administration at the Zurich University
Governor of the Deutsche Ensemble Akademie since 1999, of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama 2000-2004 and of the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft since 2002. Curator of the newly founded Allianz Kulturstiftung since 2001; start of the International Conductors Academy with the London Philharmonic Orchestra/Kurt Masur and the Philharmonia Orchestra/Christoph von Dohnanyi at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 2003. Governor of the International Artist Managers' Association (IAMA) since 2006
Awards: Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst from the Republic of Austria in 1996, Silbernes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um das Land Wien from the City of Vienna in 1997. Kleinkreuz des Verdienstordens of the Republic of Hungary in 1999.
