Ullrich Böhme

The German organist, Ullrich Böhme, was born in the Saxonian Vogtland region. His passion for the "King of Instruments" was awakened by the important Baroque organ in his home town Rothenkirchen, at which he began discharging his duties as organist at the early age of 13. He therefore went on to study with Hans Otto at the Kirchenmusikschule Dresden and with Wolfgang Schetelich at the Leipziger Hochschule für Musik from 1972 to 1979. In the Bach tricentennial year, 1985, Ullrich Böhme was chosen from many other applicants to become organist at St Thomas in Leipzig. His most important tasks since then have been solo organ playing in the church during services, concerts and motets featuring Thomanerchor Leipzig and the performance of the basso-continuo parts in cantatas, oratorios and passions. Moreover, his regular concert tours have taken him to many European countries, North America and Japan. It was Ullrich Böhme who initiated the restoration of the large Sauer organ at St Thomas and who designed the new BachOrgan (inaugurated in the Bach year 2000). Ullrich Böhme teaches at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Leipzig and holds master-classes at home and abroad. He was appointed professor in 1994. He performed the opening concert in the most important multimedia project during the Bach year 2000: "24 hours Bach" was broadcast live all over the world.