Authority on the Art Song
Prof. Dr. h.c. Richard Stokes was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Weimar Music University
The ceremony marking the 215th birthday of the Weimar Music University’s namesake was entirely dedicated to Franz Liszt and the art song. The University of Music also celebrated the 70th anniversary of its naming on Thursday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Festsaal Fürstenhaus—and awarded an honorary doctorate on this festive occasion.
The program featured a rich selection of songs ranging from Beethoven, Brahms, Loewe, and Wolf to Britten. Some of the best students and alumni from the Department of Voice and from the Art Song Performance sang and performed. The reason for this intimate concert series was the awarding of an honorary doctorate to art song expert Prof. Richard Stokes of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Laudatory address for Prof. Dr. h.c. Richard Stokes by KS Prof. Olaf Bär (German, PDF)
Richard Stokes is internationally regarded as one of the foremost authorities in the field of the art song and has been a guest at the FRANZ LISZT University of Music Weimar on multiple occasions over the past ten years to lead master classes. Stokes maintains close ties with the art song classes of Prof. Karl-Peter Kammerlander and Prof. Thomas Steinhöfel. The latter has already traveled to London with his students for a return visit.
In addition to his successful teaching career, Richard Stokes has also made a name for himself as the author and translator of numerous books and libretti. His new book on Carl Loewe’s art song compositions has just been published and will soon be presented at London’s Wigmore Hall. In addition to his professorship in London, Stokes also teaches at the Young Artists Schubertiade Leeds, the Oxford International Song Festival, and through a worldwide series of courses. He also serves as a juror at prestigious art song competitions. The laudatory address in honor of Richard Stokes was delivered by Kammersänger Prof. Olaf Bär.
“Our university intends to collaborate with Richard Stokes on the further scholarly and artistic exploration of the extensive art song collection in the University Archive / Thuringian Regional Music Archive,” says Professor of Art Song Thomas Steinhöfel. “We are also planning further cooperation with the Royal Academy of Music in London, given that the United Kingdom will once again be participating in the ERASMUS exchange program starting in 2027.”
[November 11, 2026]