Christof Hanusch
Christof Hanusch was born in 1960 in Oschersleben an der Bode, Saxony-Anhalt. At the age of 15 he began to play guitar passionately and autodidactically – rock songs. Bands “Argus” and “Rockwärts”.
In 1981, after his time as a construction soldier, he moved to (East) Berlin to become a musician.
1982–84 despite passing the entrance examination at the music college, he did not receive a place of study, working odd jobs at the post office and in the city library. Bands “Jugendstil”, “Mustang” and “Casino”.
From 1984 onwards C.H. lived as a freelance musician and small actor (German Theater Mime Ensemble and GDR Television). Band “Mixed Pickles”.
1986/87 C.H. began to play classical guitar and through a friend got to know Martin Jacob “Weißgerber”; from the beginning he felt a strong affinity to the instruments of Richard Jacob. Various cabaret projects with the songwriter Mario Eichel and the actor Michael Engel.
1990–1994 Studies in concert guitar with Thomas Offermann at the HfM “Hanns Eisler” Berlin. Band “Love & Paradise”.
1993–1996 Participation in the “Van Hout Quartet”.
1995–1999 Various jobs in the cultural sector, among others as a technical advisor and coordinator at the “Jugend-Medien-Service” and as a stage designer at the youth stage “Stückwerk”. Founded his own band: “Reality Bites”.
From 1999 cooperation with the integrative theater group “RambaZamba”, until 2012 participation in six major productions (among others “Ein Herz ist kein Fußball” – official cultural contribution of the Federal Government to the FIFA World Cup in Germany 2006) and various guest performances in Germany and abroad.
2001 An encounter with Liska Uebel, the daughter of Richard Jacob, and her “Weißgerber” guitar became the initial spark for an intensified and more sustainable engagement with Richard Jacob “Weißgerber”. C.H. gradually bought several instruments of the Markneukirchen master (without initially planning a collection). From this year he worked in the guitar shop Wolf & Lehmann in Berlin.
2002 Construction of his own concert guitar in the workshop of Andreas Krüger, Bielefeld.
2003–2009 C.H. organized concerts and events with “Weißgerber” guitars in Berlin, guests included Hans Michael Koch (Hanover), Jens Wagner (Bremen) and Thomas Müller-Pering (Weimar). He wrote his first articles in specialist journals and gave lectures.
Participation as musician in “D-Mission” at the Kammerspiele of the DT, Berlin, and the 1950s show “Teddy Tee bringing back the Doo Whop” with Timo Dierkes. Chamber music concerts with the singer Christine Lichtenberg (mezzo-soprano).
2007 Beginning of fruitful cooperation with the Musical Instrument Museum Markneukirchen, first highlight being the concert on guitars of the museum.
2008 release of the CD “Christof Hanusch plays the Weißgerber guitar of the Musical Instrument Museum Markneukirchen”. Start of work on the “Weißgerber” book.
2010 C.H. co-organizer of the Weißgerber Days in Markneukirchen on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Richard Jacob’s death with several concerts and lectures (among others with Thomas Müller-Pering, the Weimar Guitar Quartet, the Weißgerber Duo, Eva Jablynska and the Duo Jens Wagner–Anna Tasiemska). He was also curator and designer of the special exhibition with 60 “Weißgerber” guitars. Became self-employed as a freelance musician and teacher.
2011 The 460-page monograph “WEISSGERBER – Guitars by Richard Jacob”, published by the Association of Guitarists and Supporters of the Musical Instrument Museum Markneukirchen, was released. Memorial concert for the 100th birthday of Martin Jacob “Weißgerber” in Berlin with Jens Wagner, Bremen.
2012 New concert program “Romantic Guitar Music from 3 Centuries”. In preparation: Catalog of the guitar collection of the Musical Instrument Museum Markneukirchen.
