Widely popular German musician Lars Vogt died on Monday. He was 51 years old. Vogt was a much-loved concert pianist and conductor. Read on to know how did Lars Vogt die and what was the cause of his death.
Vogt was also named Music Director of Orchestre de Chambre de Paris in July 2020. He curated his own series with the orchestra in Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Pierre Boulez Salle during the 2021-22 season.
He also continued his partnership with the Royal Northern Sinfonia (RNS) as a Principal Artistic Partner. Vogt was about to become an Artist in Residence with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern both as conductor and pianist this season.
How did Lars Vogt die?
Lars Vogt passed away in the afternoon on Monday, September 5, 2022, at his home. He died peacefully surrounded by his family and friends. His management Askonas Holt Ltd. announced the tragic news of his untimely passing.
Vogt was diagnosed with cancer in February 2021. The doctors found tumors on his throat and liver. He continued to perform while getting treatment for the deadly disease. Unfortunately, Vogt isn’t with us anymore.
Lars Vogt was diagnosed with Cancer in Early 2021
Vogt was diagnosed with cancer as the tumors affected multiple organs in his body. He had been very open about the diagnosis and his experience of living with cancer. He said that receiving the sad news had given him a new appreciation for the ordinary elements of life.
“Going to the supermarket with my wife, the kids running around and goofing off, sitting at the piano and learning a new Brahms piece,” he said in an interview with VAN Magazine in May 2021.
He also recalled that his doctors couldn’t give him a prognosis but told him, “At the end of the day, the tumor will limit your life.”
Vogt continued to play through the chemotherapy and revealed that there was an upright piano in the cancer ward where he received treatment. There was also a grand piano in the palliative ward.
“I love playing the piano but I prefer to be alive,” he told Zsolt Bognar on an episode of Living the Classical Life.
Lars Vogt was a beloved Concert Pianist and Conductor
Lars Vog was born on September 8, 1970, in Düren. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling. Vogt rose to fame after winning second prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition
After that, he won numerous major concerts and recital performances. He also founded the festival “Sapnnungen” in Heimbach (Eifel) in 1998. Vogt soon became an internationally acknowledged pianist performing the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov.
He also performed the 20th Century music by the likes of Lutoslawski and others. Vogt also became a conductor and became Music Director of Orchestre de Chambre de Paris in July 2020.
Throughout his famed career, Vogt worked with major orchestras like Zürcher Kammerorchester, Camerata Salzburg, Die Deutsche
Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Niedersächsische Staatsorchester Hannover, Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, and others.
Vogt was also popular for partnerships with singers like Thomas Quasthoff, Ian Bostridge, and Julian Pregardian for recitals across the globe. Apart from his performing and recording career, he was a strong advocate for accessible music education for all.
Vogt established an educational program called “Rhapsody in School” which entered the curricula in Germany and Austria. He also won several awards throughout his career including the Opus-Klassik and was nominated for the Grammy.
Lars Vogt is survived by his wife and children
Vogt is survived by his wife Anna Reszniak and their three children. Reszniak is a professional violinist who often joined Vogt in his performances.
The music industry worldwide is paying tribute to Vogt and remembering him as an artist who died doing what he loved. Our heart goes out to his family. May God let the departed soul rest in peace.