Detlev Müller-Siemens (born 30 July 1957) is a German composer and conductor.

Life and career

Born in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, Müller-Siemens began with piano lessons at age six and began composing. He was invited to a composition class at the Musikhochschule Köln at age 13. He studied piano, composition and theory at the

Musikhochschule Hamburg A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

from 1970 with Günter Friedrichs. From 1973 to 1980, he studied with

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century ...

. He studied at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

in 1977/78 with Olivier Messiaen. Back in Hamburg, he studied piano with

Volker Banfield Volker Banfield (born 9 May 1944, Oberaudorf, Bavaria) is a German classical pianist.Jeremy Siepmann, "Banfield, Volker" in Sadie, Stanley; John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 2nd edition. New York: Grov ...

, and conducting with

Christoph von Dohnányi Christoph von Dohnányi (; born 8 September 1929) is a German conductor. Biography Youth and World War II Dohnányi was born in Berlin, Germany to Hans von Dohnanyi, a German jurist of Hungarian ancestry, and Christine Bonhoeffer. His uncle ...

. In 1985, he studied conducting further with Klauspeter Seibel. In 1981, he was an assistant at the

Paris Opéra The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...

for Ligeti's ''

Le Grand Macabre ''Le Grand Macabre'' (1974–1977, revised version 1996) is the only opera by Hungarian composer György Ligeti. The opera has two acts, and its libretto—based on the 1934 play ''La balade du grand macabre'' by Michel de Ghelderode—was wr ...

''. He was Kapellmeister of the Städtische Bühnen Freiburg from 1986 to 1988. From 1991 to 2005, he was professor of composition and music theory at the Basel Music Academy, then professor for at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...

. An engagement with the work of Samuel Beckett since 1999 has been reflected in his opera ''Bing'', the composition ''the space of a step'' for orchestra as well as in the chamber music works ''Light blue, almost white'' and ''... called dusk''.

Prizes and awards

* 1980/1982:

Villa Massimo Villa Massimo, short for Deutsche Akademie Rom Villa Massimo ( it, Accademia Tedesca Roma Villa Massimo), is a German cultural institution in Rome, established in 1910 and located in the Villa Massimo. The fellowship of the German Academy in Rom ...

, Rome * 1986:

Schneider-Schott Music Prize The Schneider-Schott Music Prize is a cash award bestowed to an outstanding composer, performing artist, or music ensemble in classical music—with emphasis, but not mandatory, on contemporary music. From 1986 to 2006, the prize was awarded annu ...

* 1988: Rolf-Liebermann Grant * 1990: Rolf-Liebermann prize

Work

Compositions by Müller-Siemens were published by Schott Music, including: * ''Under Neonlight I'' for ensemble, 1980/81 * ''Under Neonlight II'' for piano, 1980–83 * Piano Concerto, 1980–1981 * Viola Concerto, 1983–1984 * ''Under Neonlight III'' for piano, 1987 * ''Quatre Passages'' for orchestra, 1988 * Horn Concerto, 1988–1989 * ''Die Menschen'', opera, 1989–1990Schibli, Sigfried. "Zeit: Heute. Ort: Die Welt: ''Die Menschen'': Uraufführung der Oper von Detlev Müller-Siemens in Mannheim". ''

Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 'Die'' (; en, " heNew Journal of Music") is a music magazine, co-founded in Leipzig by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke. Its first issue appeared on 3 April 1834. His ...

'', vol. 152, no. 1, 1991, p. 49. * ''Carillon'' for orchestra, 1991 * Double Concerto for violin, viola and orchestra, 1992 * ''Phoenix 1,2,3'' for ensemble, 1993–1995 * ''Maiastra'' for orchestra, 1995–1996 * ''Cuts'' for alto saxophone and ensemble, 1996/97 * ''Light blue, almost white'' for ensemble, 1998 * ''Bing'', musical theatre, 1998–2000 * String Trio, 2002 * ''Die Aussicht'' for choir and ensemble, 2003/04 * ''the space of a step'' for orchestra, 2003/04 * ''distant traces'' (in memoriam György Ligeti) for violin, viola and piano, 2007 * ''lost traces'' for piano quartet, 2007 * ''...called dusk (in memoriam György Ligeti)'' for violoncello and piano, 2008 * ''Kommos'' for large ensemble, 2008/09 * ''Privacy (in memoriam László Polgár)'' for clarinet, violin and piano, 2010 * ''...called dusk II'' for string quartet, 2011 * Three piano pieces, 2012 * ''... called dusk IV'' for orchestra, 2012/13 * ''... called dusk III'' for ensemble, 2014 * ''... called dusk V'' for violin solo, 2014 * ''Subsong 1'' for ensemble, 2015

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Muller-Siemens, Detlev German male composers 20th-century classical composers German conductors (music) 1957 births Living people Musicians from Hamburg Conservatoire de Paris alumni 20th-century German male musicians