Kurt-Heinz Stolze was born in Germany in 1926. He received his musical training at the Conservatory in Hamburg where he studied piano, organ, conducting, and composition. Upon graduating he became rehearsal coach for Hamburg Opera and later at the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm. From 1959 he was Kappellmeister at the Württemberg State Theatre, Stuttgart. Stolze both composed and arranged music for ballet. He worked closely with John Cranko, arranging music by Tchaikovsky for Onegin. He also orchestrated Stuttgart Ballet’s productions of Les Sylphides and Kyrie Eleisas, and conducted the orchestra for Stuttgart Ballet on numerous occasions. In 1963, he composed the music for one of John Cranko’s ballets, Wir reisen nach Jerusalem (‘We Travel to Jerusalem’). He died in 1970.