Composer and musicologist, born in Stendal (Brandenburg). He studied from 1975 to 1980 at the Academy of Music “Hanns Eisler” Berlin in the subjects composition, piano and musicology. From 1985 to 1987 he was a master student of Paul-Heinz Dittrich at the Academy of Arts in East Berlin and attended courses in the electronic studio of the Academy founded by Georg Katzer. Kopitz then directed the acting music at the theatre Neustrelitz.
He first appeared in chamber music and electronic music. In addition, he has made several film scores, including the latest DEFA film ‘Der Besucher’ of the Israeli film director Dror Zahavi, as well as music for theatre and radio drama.
His recent works, which can be assigned to any particular style, certified Oliver Buslau ‘an ever-surprising panorama of classical to free-tonal, from jazzy to minimalist.’ The American music critic Huntley Dent calls them ‘nique among current and past releases’ - unique among current and past releases.
From 1982 to 1984 Kopitz first private studies with the Swiss musicologist Harry Goldschmidt. In 2000 he received his doctorate in musicology under Helmut Loos and founded in 2002 with Rainer Cadenbach the Beethoven Research Centre at the Berlin University of the Arts, which was funded by the German Research Foundation. From 2006 to 2008, his Beethoven research was funded by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.
He also published the complete works of the composer Norbert Burgmüller for the first time, supported by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Rhenische Musikgeschichte, the Kunststiftung NRW and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland. The seven-volume edition was published by Edition Dohr in the series ‘Denkmäler Rheinischer Musik’. Since 2012 he works at the Saxon Academy of Sciences on the complete edition of the correspondence of Robert and Clara Schumann.
(Rainer Stelle)