Gerd Zacher

German composer, organist and writer Gerd Zacher was born in Meppen on 6 July 1929. Much of his avant-garde music features extended techniques, written using graphic or verbal scores.

His academic writing in German includes Erfahrungen bei der Interpretation graphisch notierter Orgelmusik, Analyse der Orgel - ein Interpretationskurs, Die Kunst einer Fuge and Max Reger. Zum Orgelwerk.

Outside of Germany, he was mainly known as an organist, interpreting J S Bach and playing the music of many modern composers, including Juan Allende-Blin, John Cage, Mauricio Kagel, György Ligeti, Hans Otte, Dieter Schnebel and Isang Yun.

Zacher died on 9 June 2014, aged eighty-four.