Gerd Lisken

Gerd Lisken was born on 19 April 1928 in Moers (Germany). He studied school music and composition (under Helmut Degen) in Trossingen and Cologne. After his studies he opted for a pedagogical career and became lecturer for music education at the Pädagogische Hochschule Bielefeld. In the early 1970s Gerd Lisken encountered the improvisation music of violinist Lilli Friedemann and this musical aspect became an important part of his professional work as a musician and pedagogue. He initialised several student groups for improvisational music at his university and was a member himself of groups like "Ring für Gruppenimprovisation", "Trio Dekadenz" or "Cooperativa Ensemble". In 2009 he was honoured with the cultural award of the city Bielefeld for his lifelong achievements.
As a composer Gerd Lisken focused on chamber music, songs and vocal music. His work "...dein aschenes Haar" for choir and ensemble was awarded the Carl von Ossietzky Composition Prize of the Oldenburg University in 1999.
Gerd Lisken died on 26 May 2018 in Bielefeld (Germany).

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the Sonata for cello and piano by Gerd Lisken. The work was composed in 1954 (according to the manuscript) and composed during the study years of Gerd Lisken. This fits to the fact that the manuscript was part of the musical estate of cellist Maurits Frank who taught at the Musikhochschule in Cologne at that time. The work remained unpublished and maybe unknown in the official work catalogue.