Education
Stahnke studied composition with Wolfgang Fortner (1970-1973), with Klaus Huber and Brian Ferneyhough (1973-1974), and with György Ligeti (1974-1979). In addition, he studied piano. His primary piano teacher was Edith Picht-Axenfeld.
composer musicologist university professor
Stahnke studied composition with Wolfgang Fortner (1970-1973), with Klaus Huber and Brian Ferneyhough (1973-1974), and with György Ligeti (1974-1979). In addition, he studied piano. His primary piano teacher was Edith Picht-Axenfeld.
He writes chamber music, orchestral music and stage music His music makes extensive use of microtonality. He also holds a doctoral degree in musicology, with a thesis on the subject of Pierre Boulez" Third Piano Sonata (1979, under Constantin Floros in Hamburg).
In 1979-1980 he went to the United States to study with the microtonalist Ben Johnston in Urbana, Illinois, and with the computer music researcher and composer John Chowning at Stanford University, California.
Currently, he is a professor of composition and music theory at the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik und Theater.