Gustav Classens
Gustav Classens (12 October 189418 June 1977) was a German conductor who shaped musical life in Bonn. He was municipal music director and conductor of the Beethoven Orchester Bonn from 1933 to 1949, continuing concerts during World War II and reviving them after the war. He was then for decades conductor of the choir Chor der Bonner Bach-Gemeinschaft that he founded. Career Gustav Xavier Maria August Classens was born in Aachen, the son of the photographer August Classens (1849–after 1902) and his wife Maria Classens, née Jessen. He studied music at the Cologne Conservatory from 1913, piano with Otto Klauwell (1851–1917), music theory with Franz Bölsche (1867–1933) and Konrad Ramrath (1880–1972), and score playing with Ewald Strässer (1869–1935). His studies were interrupted by World War I. He served as Gefreiter and was severely injured in 1915. When he returned to his studies in 1919, he took conducting classes with Hermann Abendroth. He graduated in 1923 in piano and conducting. Classens gave concerts as a pianist and assisted Abendroth with his concerts at the in Cologne. In 1923, he conducted the first concert of the Kölner Kammerorchester (Cologne Chamber Orchestra) which Abendroth had founded. His first leading position was music director