Heinrich Hofmann (composer)

Heinrich Karl Johann Hofmann (January 13, 1842 – July 16, 1902) was a German composer and pianist. He was born in Berlin and died in Groß-Tabarz, Thuringia.

Hofmann studied piano and composition at the Kullak Academy in Berlin with Theodor Kullak, Eduard Bartu, and Richard Wüerst. He composed in a variety of genres, including opera, symphony, chamber music, and lieder.

His most successful work was arguably the opera Ännchen von Tharau, premiered in Hamburg in 1878. Other notable works include the operas Cartouche (1869) and Wilhelm von Oranien (1882), the Frithjof Symphony, and the Hungarian Suite. He also composed a number of pieces for solo piano and voice.

Hofmann's style is generally considered to be late-Romantic, drawing influence from composers such as Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn. While not a groundbreaking innovator, his music was respected in his time for its craftsmanship and melodic charm. He enjoyed considerable popularity during his lifetime, particularly in Germany, but his works have largely faded from the standard repertoire since his death.