Born in Frankfurt am Main, Wolfgang Wagenhäuser is a pianist whose unique approach to performance and pedagogy is the result of merging ideas from different schools and traditions of piano-playing. He has studied in the lineage of important pedagogues: Professor Gisela Sott, coming directly out of the Liszt tradition as well as performances of Beethoven from the Edwin Fischer tradition/ Professor Leonard Hokanson who studied under Arthur Schnabel. In addition, he has had intensive experience under Rosa Sabater and Rudolf Firkusny.
Wolfgang Wagenhäuser is the winner of numerous first prizes in national and international piano competitions (in Paris and Florence) which includes special recognition for his authentic and original interpretation of Mozart and Beethoven. Wagenhäuser made his first public appearance at the age of five. During his most active years of concertizing, he gave up to 80 concerts per year regularly.
His performance opportunities took him all over the world but decided at the age of 35 to diminish his concert life to dedicate more energy to his students and his family. Only since 2003 has he been accepting more concert invitations.
Wolfgang Wagenhäuser loves playing “Lied” as well as chamber music from time to time. Here are some of his partners: Aldo Baldin, Gabriele Schnaut, Scott Weir, Christoph Prégardien, Sergej Kravtschenko, Pieter Daniel, Frederico Agositni, Maria Kliegel, Michael Flaksman, Andrei Demin, Günter Klaus, Ovidiu Badila, Radovan Vlatkovic, Branimir Slokar, Roger Bobo, Serge Collot, Kim Kaskashian, Dimitri Ashkenasy, Akio Koyama, Leonard Hokanson, Raluca Chifane-Wagenhäuser (Excelsior-Piano-Duo) and last not least Soli-Trio.
Hailed by the press for his ability to interpret a wide range of styles, Wagenhäuser’s
repertoire is multifarious. Over 50 recordings for CD as well as live concerts for Radio and TV at various festivals in the past years (in Moscow, Bucharest and Riva del Garda) attest to his outstanding ability and contributions as a musician.
At the age of 19 (shortly after his Abitur “with honors”) Wolfgang Wagenhäuser upon his successes in various competitions was the youngest to have become a “Dozent” in Germany and led his own piano class for 3 years at the University in Fulda. Afterwards, at the age of 22, he was called to lead his own piano class at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main. He accepted his professorship position at the College of Music in Trossingen 12 years later.
Since 2015, Wolfgang Wagenhäuser is guest professor at the Tongji University in Shanghai where he as well developed and the interdisciplinary sound research center. Since his retirement, he has been a regular guest there, as well as at several other universities and conservatories, as a “foreign expert”.
During his decades (104 semesters) of teaching,
his students have won many national and international piano competitions and have been recognized nationwide as promising young artists. His former students currently teach in conservatories and universities worldwide.
His experience was also in demand on many committees. For many years, he was a member of accreditation juries for German music universities. He also represented German music universities for several years at the Music Information Center of the German Music Council. He is regularly invited to give lectures and participate in discussions at international conferences. As Erasmus coordinator and later as vice-president and director of Asian affairs, he built bridges within Europe and especially with Asian countries.