UE composers from Switzerland

Andreas Pflüger was born in Basel (Switzerland) as the son of the painter Carl Pflüger-Gotstein. He attended the Rudolf Steiner School, the Mathematical and Scientific High School and the Music Academy in Basel, where he received his diploma in composition in 1965. In 1965-1966, a scholarship enabled him to study at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. From 1966-1968, he worked with the conductor and composer Igor Markevitch in Madrid and attended composition seminars with Prof. Luis de Pablo at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid on "Die Neue Musik in den audiovisiven Medien" (La música contemporánea en los medios audiovisuales).

In the 1970s he took part several times in the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music. There he worked on various projects, sometimes together with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricio Kagel, Iannis Xenakis, Rolf Gehlhar and Siegfried Palm, with whom he remained on friendly terms until the latter's death. Also in the 1970s, he completed postgraduate studies with Prof. Rudolf Kelterborn in Basel.

In 1982, Andreas Pflüger was awarded the Prix Suisse for the opera La Strega Orsina che non muore mai after the libretto by Grytzko Mascioni. In 1988 he was a guest of the Soviet Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the world premiere of his ballet Catharsis at the Vilnius State Opera (Lithuanian SSR).

In 1990 he was an expert at the International Music Competition in Geneva and in 1993 at the International Music Competition in Markneukirchen.

In 1997 he was invited to a lecture tour at universities in the USA (UC Berkeley, Dallas, Charleston S.C., NYC, Washingon DC and Chicago). The topic was "Strolling through 200 years of Swiss music".

In 1998 followed a lecture tour at universities and cultural institutions in Argentina and Paraguay (Universidad de Belgrano & Universidad Cattólica de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Rosario, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Escuelas superiores de Corrientes, Private audiences in Bahia Blanca and at the Goethe Institute of Asunciòn / Paraguay) with the theme "Paseo por 200 años de música Suiza".

In 2007 he made a tour in Japan (Tokyo and Naha).

Andreas Pflüger has composed seven operas (Prague State Opera, Silesian National Theatre Opava, Basel, Geneva, Kislovodsk/Russia), two ballets (Agora: TV production RTSR Genève, Catharsis: Lithuanian State Opera Vilnius/Lithuanian SSR) and numerous symphonic and chamber music works, which have taken him to Argentina, Brazil, the Czech Republic and other countries. These have taken him to Argentina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Paraguay, USSR - Russian Federation, Ukraine (USSR - Republic), Hungary, USA, Sweden and Spain.

He composed about 100 film scores for various producers, including a well-known cartoon series.

The music for the film "Stromboli - As Long The Heart Beats" by Hanspeter Aliesch / MUVI AG was awarded 1st prize at the London International Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival in 2020. The one for the film "Vincenzo Vela - Il Sogno della Materia" by Adriano Kestenholz, who has a long-standing friendship with the composer, received a special prize at the "Parma International Music Film Festival 2020".

1954 – Born December 6th in Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Throughout school simultaneous music courses at the Schaffhausen Music School (principal instrument: piano)

1975 – Moves to Vienna. Studies at the Music Academy in composition (Roman Haubenstock-Ramati) and conducting (Otmar Suitner)

1984 – Winner of the composition competition "The Young Generation in Europe," jointly sponsored by the City of Cologne, the Venice Biennale, and the Paris Festival d'Automne

1985 – Co-founder and Artistic Director of the instrumental ensemble Klangforum Wien (originally "Société de l'Art Acoustique"). Performances in Vienna's Secession museum and Concert House, as well as at festivals throughout Austria and abroad.

1989 – World premiere of the opera Die Blinden in Vienna (Odeon) as a commission by the Vienna State Opera

1991 – Instructor, after 1992 Professor for composition at the Graz Music Academy

1992 – Recipient of a Siemens Scholarship

1994 – World premiere of the opera Narcissus at the Opera House in Graz

1996 – Composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival. Featured Composer in the series "Next Generation" at the Salzburg Festival, World Premiere of nuun for two pianos and orchestra

1998 – 10 January, German Premiere of Narcissus in Bonn

2003 – Prize of the City of Vienna for Music

2005 – Member of the Berlin Academy of the Arts

2006 – Golden Lion of the Biennale di Venezia for FAMA

2006/2007 to 2009 – Visiting professor for composition at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts

2014 – Grand Austrian State Prize for Music

2018 – Ernst von Siemens Music Prize

Furrer is an Austrian citizen and lives in Kritzendorf near Vienna.

Christoph Bürgi is a Swiss cellist.

After his cello studies with Claude Starck, Paul Tortelier, Jacqueline Dupré, Arto Noras and Heinrich Schiff, Christoph Bürgi gave concerts as chamber musician in Europe, America and Japan.

He played in a Swiss professional symphony and theater orchestra (St.Gallen/Switzerland) for 30 years as first solo cellist and was professor on all levels for all ages.

Christoph Schnell studied musicology, art history and ethnomusicology at the University of Zurich and received his doctorate in musicology in 1984 with an interdisciplinary thesis in "computers and music" (Dr. phil. I/PhD). He completed his artistic training with Peter Mezger (violin, St. Gallen), Giovanni Bria (piano, Zurich); composition discussions, courses, lectures, seminars, among others with P. Huber, H.-U. Lehmann and Y. Xenakis. Schnell wrote his first piece at the age of 10. In 2008 he invented a new type of musical theater: the musical-opera. Schnell is probably the only contemporary Swiss composer to have written 8 violin concertos. And he is probably the only composer to have filmed his own Requiem composition. His now around 300 compositions include both chamber music as well as works for large symphonic ensembles and choir. On the reception of the premiere of his Violin Concerto No. 2 at Brescia/Italy in 2018, the president of a well known Italian concert agency wrote to Schnell: "People usually are very "cold" expecting contemporary music program, but in your case it was a great success and a great like from everybody!".

Daniel Schnyder was born on 12 March 1961 in Zurich/Switzerland and lives in New York City. He works as composer and instrumentalist (saxophone) and his works comprise symphonies, instrumental music, operas, oratorios, a concerto for chamber orchestra, various orchestra pieces, numerous chamber music works and many CD productions with jazz compositions and cross-over-related music with Arab, Latin-American and African musicians.

Daniel Schnyder is composer in residence of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under Andreas Delfs and regularly writes music for the New York Absolute Ensemble under Kristjan Jaervi. In 2004/05 he works as composer in residence for the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad and as consultant for Absolute Ensemble N.Y.C. and various festivals with respect to special music projects ranging from classic, jazz to ethnic music.

In 1996 Daniel Schnyder was awarded the first prize at the International Trumpet Guild Composition Contest for his music for brass instruments which will be released by the Graham Ashton Brassensemble 2003 on Signum records integral. David Taylor performed Daniel Schnyder’s Bass Trombone Concerto in New York, Schnyder produced a CD of this concert which won the Grammy Nomination 2002.

His latest releases include the Jazz album Da Skale (TCB records) together with Kenny Drew jr. and Zoom In (Universal) with the Carmina Quartett (first recording of the 3rd String Quartet) and Arab percussion.

Daniel Schnyder also plays regularly as soloist with orchestras and jazz bands and holds master classes in composition, improvisation and arrangement. Most of his jazz compositions have been released by enjarecords – more than 12 CDS ranging from trio to big band, symphonic music and jazz: www.enjarecords.com

Schnyders pieces in the UE-catalogue:

The Four Winds for violin

Suite for Basstrombone and Orchestra

Piano Concerto for piano and string orchestra

The Revelation of St John for soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra

Sonata for flute and piano

Suite Provencale for 2 flutes

Trumpet Concerto for trumpet and orchestra

Violin Concerto for violin and orchestra

Dominique Phillot is a swiss guitarist and composer. He comes from a family of músicians. When he was a teenager he began to study the classical guitar. He acheeved his studies in 1983 with the Concert Diploma in the De Ribaupierre Institut in Lausanne. Further he took perfectionnement classes with José Tomás and Jorge Cardoso. From 1981 Dominique Phillot gave concerts in 15 countries mainly in Europe and America. He played in prestigeous concert halls in Buffalo (USA) Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Guatemala, Asunción, Stockholm, Madrid, Lausanne, Brussels, Sofía, Strasbourg, La Habana and recently in San Jose (Costa Rica) and Praque. His repertory contains mainly spanish south american and swiss músic. From the year 2002 he is interested by ethno músic presentíng the program Silk Road playing with músicians from India Bulgaria Afghanistán Egypt and Switzerland. In 2013 he beginns to explore the popular músic of África and latín América with the project Black Market and concerts in Spain and Portugal. His most recent project is a col!aboration With the singer and jazz guitarist from Colombia Felipe Manrique. In 2022 the duo will récord a CD with own jazz compositions. Their influencis are the modal jazz , south american músic and spanish músic.

Dominique Phillot was artístic Director of the Fribourg, Switzerland International Guitar Festival from 1996 to 2015. He was also artístic Director of the Guarda, Portugal International Guitar Festival . From 2014 he is Director of the Tobarra, Spain International Guitar Cyklus.

Dominique Phillot recorded tres discs. Guitarra Íntima in 1987. Guitar between Romantism and Modernity in 1993. And Couleur d Orient in 2005.

He is also present in YouTube and in the main Streaming platforms.

Hans Eugen Frischknecht

Hans Eugen Frischknecht was born at St.Gall (Switzerland). Hie has studied composition with Boris Blacher and the organ with Michael Schneider in Berlin. In Paris, he was in the class of analyses of Olivier Messiaen and has continued the studies of organ with Gaston Litaize. 1971, he won the first price at the international organ improvisation in St. Albans (England). He was organist at the St.John’s church in Berne and professor at the high scool of music in Biel and Berne. He wrote many compositions für organ, piano, chamber music, orchestra and choir. He recorded CDs with his compositions and interpretations at the organ. 

Hikaru Suzuki, born in 1965 and raised in Japan, showed an extraordinary talent for piano playing at a young age. Although she actually not liked at all the piano because of family difficulties and she had practised almost nothing, she thrilled the jury every time at the competition. At a public piano seminar, the professor from Osaka Music University told the assembled audience about Hikaru Suzuki that she was a "golden egg". Actually, she much preferred to become a sportswoman.

At a master's course at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, a professor attested to her musical expressiveness of the highest level. And he said to her that if she had practised properly in her childhood, she could have reached the top as a pianist.

After studying piano in Japan, she continued her studies at the Winterthur Conservatory and graduated with a concert diploma. She has an incredible talent for grasping notes quickly and intuitively and reflecting it. Her personal favourite is J.S. Bach.

1995-2014 she works as a piano teacher.

In 2005 she was diagnosed with a motor nerve disease (MMN) in her hands, therefore she could not perform properly as a pianist.

In 2008, she wrote her first work. It was a sudden start. She never thought she would become a composer, nor did she ever want to be a composer.

By the end of 2019, she had written about 40 works (with over 200 pieces). These include 4 trios, violin-, flute- and cello-sonatas and various piano works for solo, four hands and 2 pianos.

Since 2018, the death of her beloved dog Banon has severely slowed down her creative energy. She almost doesn't compose anymore. But now (2021) she has finally started composing something again. She had a very difficult childhood. She shows these feelings in her plays "Hishou" and "Akatsuki".

In 2020 she was invited to a retrospective concert about Thurgau composers of the last 100 years (Thurgau Mosaic).

My music has been internatinally awarded but every single performance of my music is my personal award!

I'm always thrilled when people contact me and tell me about their performance of my music. This is a beautiful way to conncet with performers and the audience.

However, prior to all these d today performances have been hours of piano practise, learning how to write music as well as mastering life experience. They have garnished my path of life.

I started playing piano at the age of 5. Today, many years since, I still play and practise almost every day however with all my education, University degrees, international performance experience, children and family and many more mastered adventures and experiences in my luggage it all brought me to composition.

My music is performed in various countries as solo, ensemble and orchestral settings.

I'm very fortunate being able to write for unusual settings such as Hackbrett and orchestra (cymbal or dulcimer) or classic guitar ensemble aw well as standards.

I also run the Swiss Female Composers Festival - encouraging other women composers to publish and perform their music. The festival has expanded into a publishing and recording as well as a performance venue.

I perform my music and arrangements also in live concerts as in solo or with jazz drums or with other instruments.

I was born in Basel in 1948 and studied music, majoring in horn, at the conservatory in Basel, at the conservatory in Freiburg/Br. and at the Janacek Academy in Brno. This was followed by further studies in conducting with Milan Horvath and Jiri Pinkas and in composition with Heinrich Sutermeister. From 1973 - 78 I was horn player in the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and then in the Basel Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1990 I went to the south of France where I was appointed Directeur Général of the Orchestre d'Harmonie de Nice, a quasi-professional wind orchestra, where I worked until my retirement in 2013. I have been living in Germany near Halle an der Saale for several years now, where I devote myself primarily to my compositions. My compositions include 5 symphonies, concertante, vocal and chamber music works as well as the opera "Smoker's Tango" (2016). In 1996 the "Violin Concerto" and in 1997 my "50th Psalm" for bass and orchestra were nominated for the "Composition Prize of Monaco".

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With the composer and conductor Willy Merz, born in Lausanne in 1964 and now working in Turin, we are confronted with a particularly versatile personality on today's music scene. After studying in Milan, Siena and Paris with Goffredo Petrassi and Franco Donatoni ( composition ) and Ferdinand Leitner ( conducting ), among others, he emerged in 2003 as the prize-winner of the International Composition Competition in Freiburg i. Ue. Music by Willy Merz has been played or sung by outstanding artists such as Thomas Demenga, Alexander Lonquich, Dorothee Oberlinger, Maurice Bourgue, Sergio Azzolini, Edicson Ruiz and Cecilia Gasdia, orchestras such as Camerata Bern, Orchestre de Chambre de Neuchatel, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Camerata Zürich, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. Composer-in-residence at Cité des Arts, Paris, Gunnarsson Institute ( Iceland ), Fondation Altes Spittal, Solothurn, Switzerland.

CD releases with Stradivarius ( Milan ) and Almendra ( Palermo ).