After 44 years of service, farewell to music school director Claus Blank

Claus Blank (65) has not been teaching at the Taufkirchen Music School since July 1st.

That is basically unimaginable, because he worked here for 44 years, the last eight years as head of the facility.

Pullach

- Claus Blank was actually in charge of the musical direction almost the whole time, because his predecessor concentrated more on bureaucratic tasks.

“My motivation has always been to make music with others, and I was lucky that Taufkirchen and I found each other,” says the musician.

Now he lives in Poland.

Creative collaboration with the cultural center

At the turn of the millennium, a fruitful collaboration began with the cultural center, the potential of which had hardly been exploited until then.

Claus Blank, who plays the piano and cello as well as the organ himself, established the New Year's concerts in Taufkirchen, which continue to this day.

There were also concerts for anniversaries, for example of King Ludwig II, and concerts for children.

Programs from 40 years

"I was in Taufkirchen yesterday and happened to find two thick folders full of programs from the past 40 years."

For Claus Blank it was about exploring the possibilities of the performance.

He remembers a program on Noah's Ark that would be relevant again today in connection with the flood disaster.

But the concert took place in 2002, under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who, like Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet today, was out and about in the flood areas, at that time, of course, in other parts of Germany.

Fruitful cooperation with primary schools

Apart from implementing the ideas that resulted in concerts, there was also a fruitful collaboration with elementary schools, for example on theater performances, at the time.

Then Claus Blank either played the piano himself or put together small bands.

The neighborhood help was also added, the musician led a group of singers, membership age 70 and up: “That was my most successful choir, the rehearsals took place once a month.” The senior citizens delightedly always received the music school director with applause.

A mixture of folk songs was sung, after the coffee break the singers switched to hits from the 60s and 70s.

There were appearances at the Christmas markets, for the design of which - you guessed it - Claus Blank was also responsible.

"Social City" project

The music school also packed its instruments as part of the “Socially Integrative City” project and played, for example, in underpasses when a graffiti fresco was inaugurated, but also at photo exhibitions in the shopping center.

A short time later, the then pastor Helmut Fried from the Church of St. John the Baptist approached the music school director with the question of whether he wanted to make music with the church choir.

Claus Blank agreed.

He did not want to tackle half-measures, so he immediately learned to play the organ after years of painstaking work.

"To speed it up a bit, I bought an electronic organ myself."

Gigantic project choirs with the churches

Finally, the Protestant Church was also involved, and gigantic project choirs grew up that Taufkirchen had not seen before.

Together with the church musicians Johannes Eppelein and Pascal Caldara, big productions could be dared, at least three to four concerts in the Ritter-Hilprand-Hof were due to the musical triumvirate.

The whole place seemed to be musically tuned and coordinated.

Claus Blank managed to bundle all forces.

Stage fright before the performances

He admits that he always had a lot of stage fright when he performed.

Every artist has that, and when the concert is successful, there is “a feeling of floating”.

Fittingly, the musician recently read a little book by Herrmann Hesse about moments of happiness, and that is exactly what it was about.

"The feeling then disappeared again and again after two to three days, until reality caught up with me again."

Claus Blank now lives on a farm near Breslau

Claus Blank regards the time in Taufkirchen as a gift.

However, the focus of his life has shifted to Poland near Wroclaw, to Lower Silesia.

Here he lives with his second wife and two daughters on an idyllic farm with a cow, two horses, two goats, chickens and dogs.

“My day now starts at 6 o'clock in the morning.

First I milk the cow and clean the stalls.

It's a completely different life than it used to be, but I would like to continue to cultivate the music. ”Claus Blank intends to continue working with the Taufkirchen cultural office and will visit the Hachinger Valley community once a month.

Firmly promised.

The farewell

is planned for October 3 in the afternoon at 4 p.m. as part of a homage to Beethoven and Hölderlin. He will perform the Waldstein Sonata, Herbert Hanko will do the lyrics. The former board members of the music school have been invited