Wolfgang Seifen Presented by Liszt Academy

Inexhaustible creativity. This is what one captivated critic wrote about a concert by Wolfgang Seifen, and looking at the programme of the German organist perhaps we can be slightly concerned as well: is it really possible to undertake so much improvization in a single evening, and in so many styles? However, we don’t have to worry about the 64-year-old musician since this is a field in which he is totally at home; improvization is his lifeblood. He is able to build – on the spot – from any theme a perfectly proportioned and fascinating work of music thanks to his remarkable musicality, extraordinary creative freedom and amazing technique. He is a true authority in this genre, we can state without exaggeration that he is one of the best in Europe, an artist who has also been teaching improvization at conservatories in Germany for the past three decades. His great range is indicated by the fact that he arranged several works for organ, and he is engaged in composition including a celebratory mass that was performed at the 80th birthday of Pope Benedict XVI. The solo recital is made even more special in that we are allowed a glimpse into his workshop, initiating us into the behind-the-scenes secrets and mysteries of improvization.