Henrik Magnus Schmidt

Prof. Henrik Magnus Schmidt serves as Professor for Percussion and head of the Percussion Department at Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTMH) since February 2025. Previously, he held professorial positions at Rostock University of Music and Theatre from 2012-2025, where he was appointed Head of Percussion/Harp Department in 2013 and awarded an Honorary Professorship in 2016. His international teaching extends through master classes across European institutions.

His educational foundation includes studies at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe and postgraduate training at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. Prior to academia, he built a distinguished orchestral career with Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

Artistic research centers on percussion performance innovation, chamber music for specialized ensembles, and interdisciplinary collaborations. His work actively expands traditional boundaries through experimental techniques and cross-disciplinary projects, informed by decades of international concert experience at venues like Berlin Philharmonie and Vienna's Musikverein.

As an educator, he mentors percussion students through comprehensive training in solo, orchestral, and chamber contexts while directing departmental curriculum. His leadership includes founding the Percussion Community Rostock ensemble, which served as a laboratory for innovative percussion repertoire and pedagogical approaches.

The Percussion Community Rostock initiative remains a hallmark of his commitment to advancing percussion as both a solo and collaborative art form, providing students with performance platforms that bridge academic training and professional practice.