Volker David Kirchner

Volker David Kirchner (born 25 June 1942 – 4 February 2020) was a German composer and violist. After studies of violin and composition at the Peter Cornelius Conservatory, the Hochschule für Musik Köln and the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, he worked for decades as a violist in the hr-Sinfonieorchester in Frankfurt, and for two years as a composer of incidental music at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. He is known for his operas which have been commissioned by major German opera houses, but has also composed symphonies, concertos, chamber music and keyboard music. His operas often focus on historic personalities such as Savonarola and Gutenberg.