Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, born on June 19, 1937, in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia, was a German conductor and academic teacher. He studied conducting with Kurt Eichhorn in Munich and choral conducting with Kurt Thomas in Leipzig. In 1956, Schmidt-Gaden founded the Tölzer Knabenchor, which gained international fame. He conducted the choir until 2016. His collaboration with Nikolaus Harnoncourt influenced his musical development, particularly in historically informed performances of Bach's works. Notable recordings include Bach's Christmas Oratorio and sacred choral music by Heinrich Schütz and Orlande de Lassus. Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden received several awards, including the Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in 1983 and the Echo Music Prize Classic for the recording of Bußpsalmen by Orlande de Lassus in 2003. Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden died on April 19, 2026, after a long illness, at the age of 88.
