Biography Friedhelm Schönfeld

Friedhelm Schonfeld (May 13 1938 in Zehrensdorfer, Teltow-Flaeming) is a German jazz musician (alto and tenor saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist) and composer.

Schonfeld studied from 1950 to 1958 clarinet, piano and composition in Berlin (GDR) and was from 1960 to 1970 1st Alto saxophonist in radio-Orchester Berlin. Friedhelm Schonfeld formed his own jazz groups at various concert - and production events. Together with bassist Klaus Koch and drummer Günter "Baby" Sommer, he founded in 1966 Friedhelm Schönfeld Trio, orienting for the development of the GDR's Jazz. At this time, Schonfeld was considered one of the best known jazz musicians in the former East Germany, in addition to Joachim Kühn, Manfred Schulze, and Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky - at the forefront of the New Jazz.

He composed the music for many anniversary concert of the concert series Jazz in the chamber, which was housed at the Deutsches Theater in East Berlin. Through his contacts with the authorities in the 1970s were the first concert of Western jazz groups in East Germany outside Berlin possible. From 1976 he was employed as a music dramatist in the theater in the Palace of the Republic. In addition to 1979, he organized and hosted an annual jazz workshop with musicians from East and West. Other projects initiated and supervised by Schonfeld include public holidays and at the Berlin Academy of Arts.

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