Alfons Karl Zwicker (born 22 April 1952) is a Swiss composer, pianist and painter.

Life

Born in St. Gallen, Zwicker began as a painter and designer. He created several paintings, which were exhibited between 1973 and 1980. Zwicker then studied piano from 1976 to 1981 with Hadassa Schwimmer at Zurich University of the Arts and from 1983 to 1987 with

Werner Bärtschi Werner Bärtschi (born 1 January 1950) is a Swiss composer and classical pianist. Life Born in Zurich, Bärtschi studied piano with Sava Savoff, Jürg Wyttenbach and Rolf Mäser, composition with Armin Schibler, Klaus Huber and Rudolf Kelte ...

in Zurich.German Theatre Lexicon, 2011.Kürschners Musiker-Handbuch, 2006. From 1984 to 1988 he studied

musical composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called ...

with

Rudolf Kelterborn Rudolf Kelterborn (3 September 1931 – 24 March 2021) was a Swiss musician and composer. Life Born in Basel, Kelterborn studied in Basel, Detmold, Salzburg, and Zürich, among other places, with the composers Walther Geiser, Willy Burkhard, Bor ...

at the

City of Basel Music Academy The City of Basel Music Academy (german: Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel) is an institution for music education, located in Basel, Switzerland. It comprises a music school, college of music, and a center for early music research and performance. ...

. Afterwards he first appeared as a

Neue Musik Neue Musik (English ''new music'', French ''nouvelle musique'') is the collective term for a wealth of different currents in composed Western art music from around 1910 to the present. Its focus is on compositions of 20th century music. It is char ...

interpreter and was active as a song accompanist. In 1987 he founded the

International Society for Contemporary Music The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music. The organization was established in Salzburg in 1922 as Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM) following the ...

music podium ''Contrapunkt'' in St. Gallen to promote

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial ...

. He conducted this concert series until 1993. From 1990 he was active as a composer and in 1993 he attended a

master class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...

in Lucerne with the Russian composer Edison Denisov. He then became a member of the composer group Groupe Lacroix in 2000. With them he realized a music project for

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

. In the context of the project he composed for the the work ''«Unter dem Grabhügel» ("Under the Grave Mound") for saxophone and orchestra'', which was performed with the soloist Vincent Daoud (saxophone) under the direction of

Otto Tausk Otto Tausk (born 1970 in Utrecht) is a Dutch conductor. Biography Tausk was a violin student of Viktor Liberman and István Párkányi. He studied conducting with Jurjen Hempel and Kenneth Montgomery. He continued his music studies with Jonas Al ...

was premiered on 20 February 2015 in the Tonhalle St. Gallen. He completed a postgraduate course in Arts Management at the

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...

in 2002 with a

Master of Advanced Studies A Master of Advanced Studies or Master of Advanced Study (MAS, M.A.S., or MASt) is a postgraduate degree awarded in various countries. Master of Advanced Studies programs may be non-consecutive programs tailored for "specific groups of working pro ...

Awards

* 1989: Kulturförderungspreis der Stadt St. Gallen (for contribution to the music podium ''Contrapunkt'') * 1991: Internationaler Bodenseekulturförderungspreis (for compositional work) * 1993: Werkbeitrag des Kantonalen Amts für Kulturpflege St. Gallen (for project ''Afrikanische Notizen'') * 1994: Werkbeitrag der Stiftung

Pro Helvetia The foundation Pro Helvetia is a public foundation of Switzerland. Presidents *From 1939 to 1943, Heinrich Häberlin. *From 1944 to 1952, Paul Lachenal. *From 1952 to 1964, Jean-Rodolphe de Salis. *From 1965 to 1970, Michael Stettler. *From 1971 ...

(for the Orchestra-cyclus ''Vom Klang der Bilder'') * 1997: Werkbeitrag der Stiftung Pro Arte (for the Opera ''Die Höllenmaschine'') * 2003: Kompositionsbeitrag Stiftung Pro Helvetia (for the Opera ''Der Tod und das Mädchen'') * 2004: Förderbeitrag der (for the Opera ''Der Tod und das Mädchen'') * 2007: Werkbeitrag der Stadt St. Gallen (for ''Ein weltliches Requiem'') * 2012: – endowed with CHF 20,000 (for experimental music theatre and impressive stage productions)''Nachrichten St. Galler Kulturpreis. Michael Steiner and Alfons Karl Zwicker werden geehrt''. In ''Tages-Anzeiger'', 5 October 2012, .

Werk

Stage music

Operas

* ''Die Höllenmaschine''. Opera in four acts after

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

1998

Theater St. Gallen The Theater St. Gallen is a performing arts center for opera, musical, ballet, and theatre in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and considered to be the oldest professional theatre in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Al ...

* ''Eine Scheidelinie wird weiter herausgezogen''. Oper in einem Akt nach der szenischen Dichtung von

Nelly Sachs Nelly Sachs (; 10 December 1891 – 12 May 1970) was a German-Swedish poet and playwright. Her experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokesperson for the grief and yearnings of he ...

. (Premiere) 2001 Theater St. Gallen * ''Der Tod und das Mädchen''. Opera in six scenes. Libretto: Daniel Fuchs after Ariel Dorfman's eponymous dramas. Premiere 4 December 2010

Festspielhaus Hellerau Festspielhaus Hellerau (English: Hellerau Festival House or Hellerau Theatre) is a theatre/studio building/classroom building located in Hellerau, the famous garden city district of Dresden, Germany. Built in 1911, it was an important center for e ...

Stage/acting music

* Nachtduett (1989-1990). Cycle with poems by Georg Trakl for mezzo-soprano, bass, flute, harpsichord, 4 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass.

Vocal music

* Erfrorene Träume (1990–1992). Cycle after poems by Josef Kopf for mezzo-soprano and ensemble * Pilgerfahrt zu blauen Eisziegeln (1990–1993) for baritone and piano. Text: Josef Kopf * Tropfen auf Stein (1995). cycle after poems by Elisabeth Heck for baritone, flute, harp, piano, percussion and viola * Die Welt braust (1996) for baritone solo after a letter from

August Stramm August Stramm (29 July 1874 – 1 September 1915) was a German war poet and playwright who is considered the first of the expressionists. Stramm's radically experimental verse and his major influence on all subsequent German poetry has caused him ...

* Konstellation mit Mondtransit (1998–1999) for soprano, violin, trombone, violoncello, clarinet and piano * Erinnerung an Nelly Sachs (1999) for 2 flutes, cembalo and female voice * Empathie (2001–2002) for soprano, violoncello and tape. Text:

Else Lasker-Schüler Else Lasker-Schüler (née Elisabeth Schüler) (; 11 February 1869 – 22 January 1945) was a German-Jewish poet and playwright famous for her bohemian lifestyle in Berlin and her poetry. She was one of the few women affiliated with the Expressi ...

* Landschaft aus Schreien (2003) for mezzo-soprano and piano. Text: Nelly Sachs * Mirlitonnades (2007) for mezzo-soprano and 6 instruments. Text:

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

* ''Dem heiligsten Stern über mir'' (2009) for alto and piano

Instrumental music

Orchestral music

* ''Begegnung mit dem Eis'' (1992–1993) for medium orchestra * ''Vom Klang der Bilder'' (1987–1996). Cycle for large orchestra and piano solo * ''Sprachklang'' (2004) für solistisches Streichorchester * ''L’été symétrique (Le jardin sous les eaux, part 2)'' (2009–2010) for large orchestra

Chamber music

* Variationen für Violine solo (1988) * Diskurs (1988) für Klavier und 2 Trommeln (1 Spieler) * Rituale für Fada (1994) für Streichquartett * Postludien (1995–1997) für Violine und Klavier * Kosmogramm I (1998–1999) für Klavier solo * Trauernd (2001).

Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

-Klang für Oboe, Fagott, Viola und Gitarre * Verständigung (2002). Erinnerungen aus dem Verlies für Ensemble * Botschaften des Regens (2003) für Violoncello und Schlagzeug * Monogramme (2004–2007). 8 Klavierstücke * Secretum (2006–2007). 8 Stücke nach den Urzeichen des ''

I Ching The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zho ...

'' für Violoncello und Kontrabass * Monstrosität (2009–2010) für Klavier zu 4 Händen * Vom Klang der radikalen Architektur (2010). Zyklus für Klavier zu vier Händen * Hommage à

Jean Baudrillard Jean Baudrillard ( , , ; 27 July 1929 – 6 March 2007) was a French sociologist, philosopher and poet with interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as w ...

(2010) for Ensemble

Discography

* ''Vom Klang der Bilder'' (Musiques Suisses, 1998). Peter Waters (piano), Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra, Monica Buckland Hofstetter (conductor) * ''Erfrorene Träume'' (ASM, 1999). Eleanor James, Marc Fournel, Charly Baur, Priska Zaug, Ursula Oelke, Manuel Bärtsch, Juhani Palola, Beatrix Sieber, Leo Gschwend, Jean-Marc Chappuis, Raffael Bietenhader, Jürg Wyttenbach (conductor) * ''Rituale für Fada'' (Classic 2000). Arioso-Quartett St. Gallen * Groupe Lacroix: '' 8 Pieces on Paul Klee'' ( Creative Works Records, 2003). Ensemble Sortisatio * ''Monogramme'' (Creative Works Records, 2008). Peter Waters (piano) * ''Der Tod und das Mädchen'' (MGB, 2011). Frances Pappas (mezzo-soprano), Andreas Scheibner (baritone), Hans-Jürgen Schöpflin (tenor), Choir and , Jonathan Stockhammer (conductor)

Literature

* Adrian Riklin: ''Die Geburt der Musik aus dem alltäglichen Drama''. In '' Saiten'' 44 (1997). * Roland Schönenberg: ''Reise über Afrika ins Nordlicht. St. Gallen: Komponisten-Portrait Alfons Karl Zwicker''. In ''Dissonanz'' 55 (1998), . * ''Zwicker, Alfons Karl.'' In Axel Schniederjürgen (ed.): ''Kürschners Musiker-Handbuch.'' 5th edition,

Saur Saur may refer to: * Saur (company) a French utility company * Saur (restaurant), Michelin starred restaurant in The Hague, Netherlands * Dog king - a Scandinavian tradition * Saur 1 - an APC developed by ROMARM * K. G. Saur Verlag, German publish ...

Verlag, Munich 2006, , . * ''Zwicker, Alfons Karl''. In Wilhelm Kosch, Ingrid Bigler-Marschall (ed.): ''Deutsches Theater-Lexikon. Biographisches und bibliographisches Handbuch''. VOl. 7: ''Wolbring–Zysset'', De Gruyter, Berlin

mong others Mong may refer to: People *A proposed original name for the Hmong people, based on the main group, the Mong community * Bob Mong (), American journalist and academic administrator *Henry Mong (), American surgeon and Presbyterian missionary *Mong ...

2011, , . * Lisa D. Nolte: ''Blutrote Betroffenheit. Alfons Karl Zwickers Oper ''Der Tod und das Mädchen'' am Theater St. Gallen (September bis November 2011)''. In ''Dissonanz'' 117 (2012), .

References

External links

Alfons Karl Zwicker
in der MusicSack-Datenbank
Webseite von Alfons Karl Zwicker
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zwicker, Alfons Karl 20th-century classical composers Swiss opera composers Swiss classical pianists Classical accompanists 1952 births Living people People from the canton of St. Gallen 20th-century Swiss composers