Composer, accordionist, pedagogue, born in Apolda (Thuringia), died in Berlin.
His parents had their own hairdressing business and intended to educate young Hans as their successor to the business. However, he showed a strong devotion to music since his early childhood, which was initially not taken seriously by his parents. Although he was allowed to take lessons on some instruments - classical guitar, violin and piano - but it took a long time until his parents felt that their son would not be dissuaded from his predilection for music.
At the age of 16, he dropped out of the barber's apprenticeship, took the entrance exam at the Hochschule für Musik in Weimar and began to study Kapellmeister. As a result of the Second World War, he had to cancel this study and do his military service. His training took place in France, where he received after the basic training in a music corps as an oboist (Note: He had oboe in Weimar occupied as an orchestral instrument, a requirement that was mandatory in Kapellmeisterstudium.). Until 1944 he worked as an oboist in this music corps, which was stationed in various areas of the Russian war zone. Thereafter, all instruments were relocated to Tarnowitz (Poland), where they were lost due to the effects of the war.
Due to a wound, he escaped captivity shortly before the end of the war. Since all his musical instruments (oboe, classical guitar, as well as a precious Morino accordion) were lost during the war, he decided to comply with his father's request and take over the hairdressing business.
After the return of his comrades from captivity (1948), they convinced him to resume the music. They founded an ensemble and since that time have been regularly heard in the Landessender Weimar. Some time later he participated in the Klingenthaler Musiktage and won the first place. From 1951 to 1952 he worked as an editor at the then Berliner Rundfunk, led from 1952 to 1953 a mixed orchestra with folk instruments at the State Folk Art Ensemble of the GDR and then received in 1953 at the College of Music Berlin (later College of Music Hanns Eisler) one Chair of artistic accordion playing, ensemble playing, instrumentation and other subjects and built a special field with the aim to train primarily accordion and guitar teachers for music schools.
In 1955, he was awarded by the then Minister of Culture, the State Prize for Artistic Folk Creation 1st Class.
In 1956 he opposed the instructions of the Minister of Culture, took part in the German Accordion Championship in Ludwigsburg - there was no wall - and won there as a GDR citizen the title of “German Accordion Master”. Afterwards, Hans Boll stopped participating in competitions in order to devote more attention to teaching at the university, to his freelance work at the State Broadcasting Committee and to extensive concert activities at home and abroad. Concert tours have taken him to Finland, Poland, India, Iraq, Austria, Mongolia, Romania, Italy, Switzerland and Russia.
From 1970 to 1974 Hans Boll completed a composition study in the context of evening and distance learning with Gerhard Tittel. He had previously taken private composition lessons with Günter Kochan and conducting lessons with Willy Niepolt to perfect his conducting skills. Until 1984 he worked in the GDR as a composer, arranger, instrumentalist and conductor.
Since the work of a new rector at the University of Music, Hans Boll's relationship to some members of the university management has become increasingly complicated, so that Hans Boll after a scandal, the said rector on Dies academicus public, considered leaving the GDR forever , In 1984 the opportunity arose during a concert tour with the famous actress and singer Vera Oelschlegel in Italy.
The professional new beginning in the Federal Republic of Germany was initially very difficult for him. After a time without employment and in the course of professional reorientation he was able to re-establish links with publishers, print works not yet published and also compose new ones. Et al He was also successful as musical director of the Bochum Planetarium.
The contact with the Lethmato Accordion Orchestra was a stroke of luck for him. He took over the direction of the orchestra from 1987 to 1989 and composed symphonic variations on “Innsbruck, I must let you” for this orchestra, took part in a competition that takes place every 3 years and immediately won the 2nd place in the “OBERSTUFE” from 82 participating orchestras in this category. He also led with Guido Wagner several years, the State Youth Accordion Orchestra of North Rhine-Westphalia and had several overseas appearances. The attempt to publish a new record after the change in 1989 was unsuccessful due to a lack of demand. From 1990 to 1992 Hans Boll was conductor of the Bochumer Zitherorchester.
(Rainer Stelle)