Werner Niehues

Born 1926 in Rheine; music studies in Münster and Trossingen; then proofreader and arranger for Hohner-Musiverlag; 1954 lecturer at the music school in Trossingen and head of the new founded studio for electronical instruments – a pilot experiment at the music school; numerous premieres of the contemporary chamber music for electronical instruments during the legendary music days of Trossingen in the 1950s and 1960s; solo concerts with the electronium with the symphony orchestra; foundation of various ensemble for instance the famous electronium ensemble from Trossingen; numerous concerts and radio productions with this special orchestra; 1961 sensational jazz concert in Luzern with a purely electronic Big Band; versatile music interests are also reflected in his virtuous interpretations and arrangements in both entertaining and traditional music; 1974-1987 managing director of the Hohner conservatory; at the same time he was president of the music committee for the German Harmonika Association; initiator of the „Deutschen Akkordeon-Musikpreis“, the „Rudolf Würthner-Wettbewerb“ for soloists and orchestra and further trainings for the professional development of the German Harmonica Association (among other things the new form of the Easter workshops in Trossingen); integration of electronic instruments, particularly the electronium, to the accordion orchestras and ensembles; lecturer of numerous training seminars, jury member, author of various coaching books and instrumental literature for electronic instruments; his arrangements for the accordion orchestra show the way forward; in his speeches and articles he always talked about the music sociological situation of music making of laymen and continued successfully the accordion pedagogical guidelines of his predecessors Prof. H. Herrmann and Dr. A. Fett;