Anton Bernhard Fürstenau was one of the most outstanding German flutists of the 19th century and internationally renowned. He was born in Münster in 1792 and received his first lessons there from his father, the flautist Kaspar Fürstenau (1772–1819), who was a member of the court orchestra.
Anton Bernhard was highly gifted. He was already performing in public at the age of seven. At the age of twelve he joined the Oldenburg court orchestra, where his father was employed at the time. Accompanied by his father, Anton Bernhard undertook concert tours to the musical centres of Europe while still in his teens.
In 1817 Anton Bernhard Fürstenau became a member of the Municipal Orchestra in Frankfurt a.M., and in 1819 he joined the Court Orchestra in Dresden as principal flutist. In addition, he continued to undertake concert tours as a soloist throughout Europe. He died in Dresden in 1852.
Anton Bernhard Fürstenau is still recognized in the flute world today as an exceptional flutist and teacher as well as a composer. His etudes are part of the standard instruction.
However, the Early Romantic composer’s high-quality compositions are still too seldom on orchestra and chamber music programmes, which is why Fürstenau is hardly known among the culturally interested public. The IFFC wants to contribute to making the Münster-born composer better known in the concert world.
Vgl.: Bernhard M. H. Schneeberger: Die Musikerfamilie Fürstenau. Untersuchungen zu Leben und Werk. Agenda Verlag, Münster 2021 (Reprint; zuerst: Lit Verlag, Münster 1992)
ISBN: 978-3-89688-698-9, 820 Seiten (Teil I: 438 S., Teil II: 382 S.)