Walter Baensch

Walter Baensch was born in 1906 in Bitterfeld (Germany). There is no information available about his musical education; however, from 1930 onwards, newspaper sources document his work as conductor of the Instrumental Association of Bitterfeld (Instrumental-Vereinigung Bitterfeld). It is also reported that he began his professional career as a church cantor, most likely in Bitterfeld as well. During the period of National Socialist rule in Germany, he served as district choral director (Kreischorleiter) for the Heide-Mulde district and acted as music commissioner for the city of Bitterfeld. After the Second World War, he continued his work in Bitterfeld and became municipal music commissioner. In the early 1950s, he was appointed lecturer at the Fachgrundschule für Musik in Bernburg. In the mid-1950s, he was appointed Professor of Composition at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden, where he later served as vice-rector.
Among the distinctions he received was the Martin Andersen Nexö Art Prize of the City of Dresden in 1959.
Walter Bänsch died on 10 May 1966 in Dresden (Germany).

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the piano work "Thema mit Variationen" by Walter Baensch. The composition is subtitled "Klavierwerk Nr.1" and was composed in 1932. The work is dedicated to the pianist Elly Ney.