Jens AMEND, organ (Germany)

At first Jens Amend studied Organ and Church Music (“A-Kirchenmusik”) at the Frankfurt Conservatoire. His professors there were among others Hans Joachim Bartsch and Gerd Wachowski.

He took master courses with Daniel Roth and Hans-Ola Ericson. After his diploma he followed supplementary organ studies with Professor Martin Sander in Heidelberg. He finished these studies with the degree “excellent”.

During the time of his studies Amend already had a lot of organ concerts in different European countries (Poland, France, Norway, Austria and Luxemburg) and at important German organs.

In 1994, he founded the “Collegium Vocale Kirchberg”, an interregional choir with whom he brought onto stage numerous oratorios.

He worked as a church musician and organist at the cathedral church in Lampertheim.

A lot of radio broadcasts give proof of Amend’s broad variety of activities. As an organist, he took part in CD recordings of the “Siegener Bachchor”, the “Posener Knabenchor” and the “Petruskantorei Giessen”. He played concerts for organ and orchestra with, among others, the “Dvorak orchestra Prague”, the “Stadttheaterorchester Giessen” and the “Main-Barockorchester Frankfurt”.

He is considered as a particularly gifted interpret of Bach’s organ works and of German Romantic pieces, which is proved by successes in important international organ competitions (1st prize in the international organ competitions in Korschenbroich and Heidelberg, 2nd prize in the international organ competition in Laubach, 3rd prize in the organ competition in Nijmegen).

In 2007, he was the first German to obtain a second prize in the international Tariverdiev organ competition in Russia.

At present, Jens Amend gives concerts at most of the renowned European organs.