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Vykintas BALTAKAS
(LIT)
was born in Vilnius in 1972.
Education: Vilnius Music Academy (1990-93,
composition studies with Vytautas Barkauskas);
Karlsruhe Music Academy (1993-97); composition
studies with Wolfgang Rihm, conducting with Andreas
Weiss); International Péter Eötvös Institute
(1994-97); Conservatoire National Supérieur, Paris
(1997); Course at IRCAM in Paris(1999-2000).
Prizes: second Prize at the Youth Conductors’
Competition in Kaunas (1990); awarded a prize for
"Pasaka" for piano solo at the Darmstadt Summer
Courses (1996); scholarship from the Heinrich Strobel
Foundation for Composition in Freiburg (1996);
scholarship at the Herrenhaus Edenkoben (1997);
scholarship from the Fondation Internationale Nadia
et Lili Boulanger for Composition in Paris (2000 and
2002); Composition-Prize for Pasaka of the Concours
International de Piano XXème siècle d’Orléans (2002);
second Prize at the Bad Homburger Conductors’
Competition (Germany, 2002); International
Composition Prize Claudio Abbado (2003); awarded
"Best Lithuanian Music-theater piece in 2004" for
Cantio.
Main activities: Founder and conductor of the
vocal ensemble "Penki vejai", as well as the chamber
choir "Aidija" in Vilnius (1990-1993); Assitant at
the Oper-school in Karlsruhe (1994-96); Assistant to
Péter Eötvös (since 1995); Music Director and
Conductor of L‘Ensemble du nouveau Siècle in
Strasbourg (1995-97).
Main performances: Ferienkurse für neue Musik
in Darmstadt (1996/1998); Schloß Rheinsberg
Opernfestival (1997); Köln Philharmonie, Wien Modern
Festival (1998); Ars Musica Bruxelles (2000);
Tanglewood Music Festival (2000); Gasteig Hall Munich
(2001); Queen Elizabeth Hall London (2003); Maerz
Musik Festival Berlin (2003); Musica Strasbourg
(2003); Centre Pompidou Paris (2003); Münchener
Biennale (2004); Biennale Venice (2004); Musica viva
München (2004); Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik
(2005); Ars Musica Brussel (2006); Maerzmusik Berlin
(2006).
Main pieces: Pasaka for piano (1995-1997);
RiRo for soprano and trumpet (1995-1999); Ouroboros
(2004) and (co)ro(na) (2005) for ensemble; Poussla
for ensemble and orchestra (2002-2004, 2006); Cantio
- music theatre (2004).
Co-operation with the following orchestras and
ensembles: Bavarian radio Symphony Orchestra;
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchesters Berlin; Radio Symphony
Orchestra Berlin; WDR Radio Symphony Orchestra
Cologne; Ensemble Modern (Frankfurt); Ensemble
InterContemporian (Paris); Klangforum Wien; London
Sinfonietta; etc.
Editions: Universal Edition Wien;
Aust-Musik-Verlag Köln.
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Péter EÖTVÖS (H)
is one of the best known
interpreters of 20th century music. He was born in
1944 in Transsylvania, received diplomas from
Budapest Academy of Music (composition) and
Hochschule für Musik in Cologne (conducting). Between
1968 and 1976 he played regularly with the
Stockhausen Ensemble. From 1971 to 1979 he
collaborated with the electronic music studio of the
Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne.
In 1978, at the invitation of Pierre Boulez, he
conducted the inaugural concert of IRCAM in Paris,
and was subsequently named musical director of the
Ensemble InterContemporain, a post he held until
1991. Since his Proms debut in 1980 he has made
regular appearances in London. During 1985-1988 he
was Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony
Orchestra. He was appointed First Guest Conductor at
the Budapest Festival Orchestra in 1992-1995, Chief
Conductor of the Radio Chamber Orchestra of Hilversum
from 1994 and First Guest Conductor at National
Philharmonic Orchestra (Budapest) from 1998. Other
orchestras he has worked with include the most
important Radio Orchestras in Europe, the Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra, London Philharmonia, Orchestre de Paris,
Los Angeles Philharmonic and New Japan Symphony
Orchestra. He has also worked in opera houses
including La Scala, Milan, the Royal Opera House
Covent Garden and La Monnaie, Brussels, with
directors including Luca Ronconi, Robert Altman,
Klaus-Michael Grüber, Robert Wilson.
In 1991 he founded the International Eötvös
Institute and Foundation for young conductors and
composers. During 1992-98 he was professor at the
Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe, and since 1998 he
has been professor at Cologne´s Hochschule für Musik.
He was awarded the Officier de l´Ordre des l´Arts et
des Lettres by the French Cultural Minister in 1988,
the Bartók Prize in Hungary in 1997 and the Christoph
und Stephan Kaske Prize in Germany in 2000. In May
2001 he was awarded in Budapest with the newly
founded Gundel-Prize for his theatre work "As I
Crossed a Bridge of Dreams". He is a member of the
Akademie der Künste in Berlin, Széchenyi Academy of
Art in Budapest and Sächsische Akademie der Künste in
Dresden.
His many compositions are regularly performed
throughout the world, and include Chinese Opera,
Psychokosmos, Atlantis, Shadows, Two Monologues,
Replica, zeroPoints and the opera Three Sisters.
Three Sisters was awarded France´s Prix
Claude-Rostand, Grand Prix de la Critique (1997/98)
and Victoires de la Musique Classique et du Jazz
(1999) and its CD won Grand Prix of Academie Charles
Cros (1999), Diapason d´or de l´année 2000" in
France, ECHO Preis 2000" in Germany and "Prix
Caecilia" in Belgium (2000). In 2001 he won the
Hungarian Classical Award of the Hungarian magazine
Gramofon.
His works have been recorded by BIS AG, BMC, DGG,
ECM, ERATO, Hungaroton and his music is published by
Editio Musica (Budapest), Ricordi (Munich), Salabert
(Paris), Schott Music (Mainz).
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Georg Friedrich HAAS (1953)
(A)
was born in Graz, Austria in 1953.
He holds a diploma from the Musikhochschule in Graz,
where he studied composition, piano and music
pedagogy, and also a PhD from the Musikhochschule in
Vienna. From 1978-1997 he was teaching assistant
and since 1989 assistant professor the
Musikhochschule in Graz (counterpoint, contemporary
composition techniques, analysis, introduction to
microtonal music).
His musical work was acknowledged by several award
and prizes, the Sandoz Prize (1992), Young Composers
Grant of the Federal Ministry for Science, Research
and Culture (1995), City of Vienna Ernst Krenek Prize
for the chamber opera Nacht (1998), Next
Generation composer at Salzburg Festival (1999),
Rostrum of Composers Prize for Violin Concerto
(2000), and the Andrzej Dobrowolski Composition
Award, presented by the Province of
Styria/Austria in Graz (2004).
His oeuvre includes several works for ensembles, solo
instruments as well as operas commissioned by
different festivals and institutions:
Nacht (Night) both concertante and scenic
version, a Chamber Opera in 24 Scenes, aus freier
Lust ... verbunden ... for bass flute, bass
clarinet and 2 percussionionists, de terrae fine for
solo violin, flow and
friction for micro-tonal piano for 4
hands, Torso and ...sodass ich’s
hernach mit einem Blick gleichsam wie ein schönes
Bild... im Geist übersehe, in vain for 24
instruments, tria ex uno for violin, cello,
flute, clarinet, piano and percussion, In iij.
Noct., String Quartet No. 3, die schöne
Wunde (chamber opera, Natures mortes for
orchestra, String Quartet No. 4, Opus 68, after Piano
Sonata No 9 by Alexander Skrjabin, for large
orchestra, Conterto for Cello and
large Orchstra, Ritual for 12 big drums and 3
brass orchestras.
Haas’ works have been performed in numerous festivals
throughout Europe, Japan and in the USA.
In autumn 2002 Haas resumes his teaching at
the University of Music in Graz and presently lives
in Vienna.
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Florian HOELSCHER
(GER)
born 1970 in Würzburg (GER),
studies with Robert Levin, Michel Béroff and
Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Freiburg, Paris und Cologne.
After quite early success in competitions he started
an extended concert activity as soloist and with
chamber music in most European countries as well as
in USA. He is a founding member of the Ensemble
"ascolta", based in Stuttgart (GER), and is
frequently invited to play with "Ensemble Modern",
"Ensemble Aventure" and Ensemble "Musikfabrik".
As soloist he collaborated with conductors like Peter
Eötvös, Christopher Hogwood, Dominique My, Mark
Foster, Kaspar de Roo, Joseph Swensen und Stefan
Asbury, among his chamber music partners are Rainer
Kussmaul, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Chen Halevi und
Christian Hommel.
He played recitals at the festival "Présences" (Radio
France, Paris), at "Eclat" festival in Stuttgart, at
the Bartók-Festival in Szombathely/Hungary, at IRCAM,
Paris (Festival Agora), at WDR Köln, at Théâtre du
Châtelet, Paris, at Tonhalle Zürich as well as in
Geneva, Luxembourg, Naples and Prague. He also
performed at the "Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele",
in the Frankfurt Old Opera house and in the frame of
the Festival of Paris-Royaumont. His CD recordings
include piano works by Robert Schumann, the first
complete recording of the piano sonatas by E.T.A.
Hoffmann, the "Toccata e due Canzoni" by B. Martinus
(cond : Christopher Hogwood), songs by Dieter
Schnebel, the recording of "Miniature estrose" von
Marco Stroppa (stradivarius). Soon a CD with Solo and
Duo works by Iannis Xenakis (together with Boris
Müller, Percussion) will be published.
Florian Hoelscher teaches contemporary piano and
chamber music at the Academy for Music in
Trossingen.
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Johannes KRETZ
(A)
Born 1968 in Vienna. He studied
composition and pedagogy at the music academy of
Vienna with F. Burt and M. Jarrell, as well as
mathematics at the University of Vienna. 1992-93 he
studied computer music at IRCAM, Paris, with M.
Stroppa and B. Ferneyhough, and developed a software
environement ("KLANGPILOT") for sound synthesis.
1996-2001 he was teacher for music theory and
composition at the city conservatory of Vienna. Since
1997 he has been working as lecturer for for computer
music at the Music University Vienna, since 2001 also
for music theory, since 2004 as assistant for
composition in the class of Michael Jarrell.
He is co-founder and board member of several artistic
groups: newtonensemble, ikultur and PRISMA (centro
tempo reale, Florence). From 1994 to 2003 he
worked as assistant professor for computer music
at the international Bartók Seminar in Szombathely
(Hungary).
His works have been performed widely in Austria,
Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Turkey,
Argentinia, Taiwan and South Korea and been
commissioned by Konzerthaus Wien, Klangforum Wien,
Ensemble On Line, Vienna Flautists, quartett22,
Lemgoer Orgeltage, Haller Bachtage, Triton Trombone
Quartett, Wiener Kammerchor and others. He received
numerous grants and composition prizes, among them:
Foundation CHRISTOPH DELZ (CH, 2002), Körner prize
Austria 2004, composition prize of the Austrian
government 2004.
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György LIGETI (1923-2006)
(H)
was an adventurer in form and
expression and a great visionary of contemporary
music. His richly varied output takes a special
position in its musical quality and uncompromising
individuality. Ligeti moved far away from aesthetic
trends and methods all his life. He was characterized
by fresh and unorthodox ideas, any form of dogmatism
was foreign to his nature, his entire oeuvre is
marked by radical turning points. Admired and hugely
influential in the profession, the sensual
accessibility of his music has won the hearts of
audiences everywhere.
Born in Dicsőszentmárton (today Tîrnăveni),
Transylania, on 28 May 1923, the son of
Hungarian-Jewish parents, he studied at the
Klausenburg conservatory with Ferenc Farkas from 1941
to 1943, later (1945-49) at the Franz Liszt Academy
in Budapest with Ferenc Farkas, Sándor Veress, Pál
Járdányi and Lajos Bárdos. Very soon he developed the
micropolyphony which later was to become one of the
most significant features of his music. In his early
pieces, such as the a-cappella choral work "Éjszaka
Reggel" and his first successful work in the West,
"Apparitions", this style is already extremely
distinctive. In December 1956, after the Hungarian
Revolution, he fled to the west, for artistic and
political reasons. Working as a free-lancer at the
West German Radio electronic studios in Cologne
(1957-58) he made an intensive study of the
music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Mauricio Kagel and
Pierre Boulez, which found its musical
expression in Artikulation (1958). This work, with
Atmosphères, the orchestral work he created in 1961,
made Ligeti instantly well-known. In this piece, he
worked almost completely without traditional melodic,
harmonic and rhythmic parameters and concentrated on
sounds with constantly changing textures.
"Micropolyphony", he once described, "means such a
dense tissue that the individual parts become
inaudible and only the resulting intermingling
harmonies are effective as a form".
After his intensive work in Cologne in the 1950s and
the development of micropolyphony in the 1960s,
Ligeti’s personal style became simpler and more
transparent in the 1970s. And as if wanting to
withdraw from the predominating musical tendencies,
he began to use tonal sounds again. He said: 'I no
longer listen to rules on what is to be regarded as
modern and what as old-fashioned.' His only
full-length stage work Le Grand Macabre was inspired
by the theatre of the absurd and is teeming with
operetta-like wit and black humour. The composer
wanted to communicate more directly with audiences:
"Stage action and music should be dangerous and
bizarre, absolutely exaggerated, absolutely crazy".
In the 1980s and 1990s, Ligeti expanded his musical
horizons again, incorporating structural principles
of African drumming music into his works: the fanatic
of the intricate developed new complex polyrhythmic
techniques. They form the basis of the 3 collections
of his Études pour piano which are considered to be
the most important piano music of the late 20th
century.
György Ligeti travelled a long road: from Romanian
folk music and the tonal language of his fellow
countryman Béla Bartók to his own cosmos of sounds.
The mentor of a whole generation of composers, he
wanted to "fuse the fear of death with
laughte".
Ligeti was honoured with all the world’s major
musical awards, including the Grawemayer Award, the
Praemium Imperiale, the Ernst-von-Siemens Music
Award, the Sibelius Prize, and the Kyoto-Prize.
He died on 12 June 2006 in Vienna.
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Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928)
(GER)
Born in Burg Modarath, near Köln.
He studied at the Cologne Musikhochschule and
University (1947-51), at Darmstadt in 1951 and with
Messiaen in Paris (1951-53). From 1954 to 1956, at
the University of Bonn, he studied phonetics,
acoustics, and information theory and composition.
After lecturing at the contemporary music seminars at
Darmstadt (1957), Stockhausen gave lectures and
concerts in Europe and North America.
Stockhausen worked with serial and electronic
procedures, with spatial placements of sound sources,
and with graphical notation. Stockhausen is
unconcerned with musical tradition and his work is
influenced by Messiaen and Anton Webern. He claims
that he explores fundamental psychological and
acoustic aspects of music. Despite his interest in
electronic music he gives performers a large role in
determining certain 'parameters' of a composition, in
"Zyklus" for example the score is written is written
so that the performance can start on any page, and it
may be read upside down, or from right to left, or
not, as the performer chooses.
In most of his works elements are played off against
one another, simultaneously and successively: in
"Kontrapunkte" (1953) pairs of instruments and
extremes of note values 'confront' one another; in
"Gruppen" (1959) fanfares and passages of varying
speed are flung between three full orchestras, giving
the impression of movement in space.
Stockhausen has written over 300 individual works.
He is a member of 12 international Academies for the
Arts and Sciences, and holds several prizes and
awards. Karlheinz Stockhausen is being awarded the
Polar Music Prize for 2001 for a career as a composer
that has been characterized by impeccable integrity
and never-ceasing creativity, and for having stood at
the forefront of musical development for fifty
years.
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