09/01/2026
Today we celebrate the birth of German composer Engelbert Humperdink!
Born in Siegburg, Germany in 1854, Engelbert Humperdinck became one of the most influential German composers of his generation. A student of Ferdinand Hiller and later a pupil and assistant to Richard Wagner, Humperdinck was deeply influenced by the richness of Wagnerian opera, while developing a musical voice distinctly his own.
Although Humperdinck composed across many genres including orchestral music, chamber works, songs, and several operas, it was his 1893 opera Hänsel und Gretel that he would become most recognizable for. Premiering in Weimar under the baton of Richard Strauss, the opera combines folk-inspired melodies with lush Wagnerian orchestration to create a world that is both charming and playful, yet mysterious and dark.
More than a century later, Hänsel und Gretel remains one of the most beloved fairy-tale operas in the repertoire, enchanting audiences with its unforgettable music and timeless story.
And speaking of Hänsel und Gretel…
Let’s just say there may be a certain forest calling our name very soon.
Stay tuned… you won’t want to get lost along the way.
