Hans-Joachim Hespos

Hans-Joachim Hespos, born in 1938 in Emden, Germany, is an accomplished pedagogue and freelance composer. At an early age, Hespos already studied the violin, founded his own students' string quartet and gave soloist concert performances. Hespos first began composing at the age of 12.
Later, after receiving an academic degree in pedagogy, he was employed as a teacher in the public service which simultaneously enabled him to develop his compositional skills independently.Since 1967, Hespos has received numerous national as well as international commissions. Meantime, his complete oeuvre counts a staggering 230 compositions for solo, chamber music, ensemble, orchestra, choir, radio, electronic acoustics, film, stage and theatre. Next his occupation as a freelance artist, Hespos is also the publisher of his own works and additionally accepts guest teaching positions at different universities around the world, such as in Israel, the US, Canada, Brasil and Japan. Hespos has also been a member of the Academy of Arts in Hamburg since 1991.Hans-Joachim Hespos has dedicated himself to music- and cultural education and is engaged in diverse pedagogical projects. He has also founded numerous creative workshops such as the annual concert series 11.11. Neue Musik in Delmenhorst which was launched in 1969 and has since enjoyed its continuation.Hespos has received several national and international awards for his compositions. The Academy of Arts in Berlin has established a Hespos-Archive, while the Bavarian State Library in Munich preserves his complete works. He lives in Ganderkesee.