Walter Wurzburger   1914 — 1995

send us an email
admin login
page updated
  10-08-2015
© Wurzburger/
dcch 2024

 

A chronology of Walter Wurzburger’s life

A chronology of Walter Wurzburger’s life
YearActivity
1914Born - April 21st. Father organist at Frankfurt synagogue and well-known teacher.
1925First composition (greeted with derision by family!)
1928Started to learn the clarinet ..
1929.. and saxophone.
1932Entered Frankfurt Conservatory. Studied under Mátyás Seiber.
1933Left Germany for Paris. Irregular band work.
1933-38Earned living by band work in France, Belgium, Norway, Sweden.
1938Stranded in Norway. Jewish committee paid fare back to Paris.
1939Went to Singapore to play tenor saxophone. At first regarded as a friendly alien but after war started became an internee.
1940-42Interned in Singapore and Australia.
1942-45Joined the Australian Army. Initial job unloading munitions.
1945-48Music degree at Melbourne University.
1948Joined staff of University. Goossens conducted one of his compositions.
1948-50Teaching, playing at theatre.
1950Came to Europe by boat - toured Italy, Greece and Israel (with brother Danny). Played in a band. Came back to Paris. Went mountaineering in Switzerland.
1951Came to London en-route back to Australia. Stayed with brother Ken. Resumed studies in London with Mátyás Seiber. Also lessons from Frederick Thurston (clarinet) at the same time as Thea King. Also took up bassoon under Dick Newton. Eventually forgot to go back.
1952-53Settled in Earls Court, as a good Australian! Worked in Marks and Spencer as porter. Some school-teaching. Hitchhiked across Europe.
1954-68Worked as a telephone operator with the Post Office. Taught French to employees. The 50s were unproductive musically. In the 60s he resumed composition.
1966Married Hanna Gibianski in November.
1967Twin daughters, Ruth and Madeleine, born in September.
1968-74Taught clarinet and bassoon at Morely College. Peripatetic instrumental teaching, including Tiffins Boys School.
1970Offered job teaching music theory and composition, clarinet and bassoon at Kingston Poly.
1971-74Took conducting course at Morely College under Guy Wolfenden.
1974In the absence of any available orchestra to conduct, founded Kingston Philharmonia.
1974-91Conductor of Kingston Philharmonia. Ran wind band. Numerous other musical activities.
198975th birthday celebrations. Series of concerts to celebrate his compositions.
1991Retired as conductor of Kingston Philharmonia.
1991-95Continued to compose and revise earlier works.