Karsten Witt
Karsten Witt was born in Hamburg and studied philosophy and linguistics in Hamburg and Constance. Having been concert master and spokesman of the German National Youth Orchestra, he founded Junge Deutsche Philharmonie in 1974 with students from all over Germany. In 1980, he then founded Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and Ensemble Modern with members of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. From 1991 to 1996, he was General Secretary of the Vienna Konzerthaus and president of the Wien Modern Festival. From 1996 to 1999 he was President of Deutsche Grammophon; from 1999 to 2002 Chief Executive of the South Bank Centre in London. In 2004, he started his own company Karsten Witt Musik Management in Berlin.