It is with great sadness that the Berliner Philharmoniker announces the death of Heinz-Dieter Schwarz, who was a trombonist with the orchestra for two decades from 1970. Born in Schleswig-Holstein in 1941, Heinz-Dieter Schwarz became a student at the Lübeck Academy of Music when he was just 15 years old. After completing his studies in Hanover, he took up his first position as principal trombonist at the Landestheater Detmold in 1963, followed by further engagements in Flensburg and Hanover.
He first joined the Berliner Philharmoniker as a deputy when Herbert von Karajan required an additional trombone for his production of Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen. Shortly afterwards, Heinz-Dieter Schwarz became a permanent member of the orchestra. His favourite composers were Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, as, in his words, they had “significantly expanded the expressive possibilities of the trombone” – a challenge he greatly appreciated.
In 1991, Heinz-Dieter Schwarz left the Berliner Philharmoniker for health reasons but remained closely connected to the orchestra as a regular concertgoer. Heinz-Dieter Schwarz passed away on 11 February 2025, shortly before his 84th birthday.