Acclaimed German composer Aribert Reimann has died at the age of 88.

Music Publisher Schott Music announced the news citing that the composer died in Berlin on March 13, 2024.

It comes a month after his final public appearance happened in February when Reimann accepted the German Music Author Award from the GEMA collection society for his life’s work.

Born on March 4, 1936, Reimann went on to study composition, counterpoint, and piano at the Musikhochschule Berlin. During his studies, he worked as a repetiteur at the Städtische Oper. His first appearances as a pianist and accompanist were in 1957 and later became a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin.

He was also a professor of contemporary Lied at the Musikhochschule Hamburg from 1974 to 1983 and then at Berlin’s Hochschule der Künste from 1983 to 1998.

Reimann went on to compose 10 operas including “Lear.” His other operas were “Ein Traumspiel,” “Die Vogelscheuchen,” “Melusine” “Die Gespenstersonate,” “Troade,” “Das Schloß,” “Bernarda Albas Haus,” “Medea,” and “L’Invisible.” He also composed chamber music, orchestral works, and songs.

Outside of his work as a composer, he founded the Busoni Composition Prize to promote young composers and was the co-editor and pianist of the Edition Zeitgenössisches Lied (contemporary song) CD series of the record label Orfeo.

Throughout his career, he was honored with many awards including the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Order of Merit of Berlin, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.

Reimann’s “Lear” will be performed on March 21 at the Staatsoper Hannover and the performances will be dedicated to his memory.