Karlheinz Stockhausen Biography

Stockhausen was a German composer who invented a new musical system and composed operas to express his vision of the cosmos. He had established his place in music history by the age of 30 with his work pioneering electronic music and his originality in instrumental compositions. His abstract compositions written with rigorous principles were considered bold and engaging. His music was not often performed, but was often played on radio stations and he lectured a great deal to audiences worldwide. He became a famous international symbol in the 1960s when his music became inspiration for rock musicians. Between 1977 and 2002 Stockhausen focused all his energy on a series of seven operas called “Light,” which were intended to express cosmic drama on stage.