The German trumpeter, Konradin Groth, He began playing the trumpet at the age of seven (lessons with Heinz Döring) and gained his first experience in the trombone choir and youth orchestras. In 1963 and 1964 he was the winner of the Jugend musiziert competition, which was held for the first time. From 1965 to 1968 he studied at the Hochschule für Musik Berlin (since 2001 UdK Berlin) with Fritz Wesenigk.
From 1968 to 1970, Konradin Groth was second trumpet of the Berliner Philharmoniker; from 1970 to 1974 Principal Trumpet of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; and from 1974 to 1998 Principal Trumpet of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He is one of the Co-Founders of German Brass (1974), which grew out of the quintet Das Deutsche Blechbläserquintett with his colleagues Martin Kretzer (trumpet), Radovan Vladkovic (horn), Enrique Crespo (trombone) and Walter Hilgers (tuba), which became German Brass. In 1983, he played the world premiere of Siegfried Matthus’ Concerto for Trumpet, Timpani and Orchestra. This work was commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker for its 100th anniversary celebrations and its Principal Trumpet Konradin Groth and Principal Timpanist Oswald Vogler.
As a soloist, Konradin Groth made six sound recordings on CD's, including salon music with organ or piano, and many more with the Ensemble German Brass (including "Bach 300", "German Brass on Stage-Overtures", "Das Deutsche Blechbläserquintett"), Berliner Philharmoniker Brass Ensemble (including "Brass in Berlin" with the Canadian Brass and Berlin Philharmonic Brass), Berliner Philharmoniker Brass Quintett and Gruppe Neue Musik Berlin. He also participated in numerous film productions with the Berliner Philharmoniker, some such as L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and some European concerts as well as several sound and film recordings under Herbert von Karajan. Through his recordings with the Berliner Philharmoniker he is one of the most recorded trumpet players of all times.
From 1998 until his retirement in 2018, Konradin Groth was Professor of Trumpet at the Universität der Künste Berlin. Before 1998 he taught for more than 20 years as an instructor at this university. Since the foundation of the Karajan Academy he taught at this institution. Some of his most renowned students are Matthias Höfs and Wolfgang Bauer. He gives international courses and his own concerts throughout the year. Most recently, he was also a member of the jury at the renowned Maurice André Trumpet Competition (Concours internationaux de la Ville de Paris). He is a great-grandson of the Altmark local historian Theodor Zechlin. His son is the actor Steffen Groth. |