Ursula Holliger, ''née'' Hänggi, (8 June 1937 – 21 January 2014) was a Swiss harpist, known for her commitment to

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 ...

Career

Born in Basel, Holliger studied at the Basel Academy and then at the Conservatoire de Bruxelles. She subsequently went on to pursue a solo career, alone or with her husband, oboist, conductor and composer,

Heinz Holliger Heinz Robert Holliger (born 21 May 1939) is a Swiss virtuoso oboist, composer and conductor. Celebrated for his versatility and technique, Holliger is among the most prominent oboists of his generation. His repertoire includes Baroque and Classic ...

. She was one of the most important harpists, particularly in the field of contemporary music, where she played and created many works dedicated to her or her husband: Elliott Carter (''Trilogy'', 1992; ''Mosaic'', 2004),

Alberto Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buen ...

(Concerto), Henze's ''

Double concerto A double concerto (Italian: ''Doppio concerto''; German: ''Doppelkonzert'') is a concerto featuring two performers—as opposed to the usual single performer, in the solo role. The two performers' instruments may be of the same type, as in Bach's ...

'', 1966), André Jolivet (''Controversia'', 1969), Witold Lutosławski's ''

Double Concerto A double concerto (Italian: ''Doppio concerto''; German: ''Doppelkonzert'') is a concerto featuring two performers—as opposed to the usual single performer, in the solo role. The two performers' instruments may be of the same type, as in Bach's ...

'', 1980), Ernst Křenek (''Kitharaulos'', 1972), Frank Martin's ''

Petite symphonie concertante ''Petite symphonie concertante'', Op. 54, is an orchestral composition by the Swiss composer Frank Martin, one of his best-known works. Martin received the commission for the work in 1944, though progress was delayed by work on the oratorio ''I ...

'', 1945), Alfred Schnittke (''Concerto for oboe and harp'', 1970 ''Eucalypts I'', 1970),

Isang Yun Isang Yun, also spelled Yun I-sang (17 September 1917 – 3 November 1995), was a Korean-born composer who made his later career in West Germany. Early life and education Yun was born in Sancheong (Sansei), Chōsen (today part of independe ...

(''Double concerto for oboe and harp'', ''Gong-Hu'', ''In balance'', 1987),

Tōru Takemitsu was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental phil ...

(''Concerto for oboe and harp'') and Heinz Holliger (''Mobile'', 1962; ''Trio'', 1966; ''Praeludium'' I et II 1987). She performed, among others, under the direction of Michael Gielen,

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British-German conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principal ...

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

, Neville Marriner and Heinz Holliger. In the classical repertoire, she has played with flutists

Peter-Lukas Graf Peter-Lukas Graf (5 January 1929) is a Swiss flautist born in Zürich, Switzerland. He was a pupil of André Jaunet, and later attended the Paris Conservatoire, where he won first prize with Marcel Moyse and Roger Cortot. Besides playing the f ...

and

Aurèle Nicolet Aurèle Nicolet (22 January 1926 – 29 January 2016) was a Swiss flautist. He was considered one of the world's best flute players of the late twentieth century. He performed in various international concerts. A number of composers wrote music ...

for

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's concerto or works by

Spohr Louis Spohr (, 5 April 178422 October 1859), baptized Ludewig Spohr, later often in the modern German form of the name Ludwig, was a German composer, violinist and conducting, conductor. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Spohr composed ten Sy ...

; and in chamber music, she formed a harp duet with harpist Catherine Einsenhoffer and a regular duet with violinist Hanna Weinmaster. As a teacher, she taught at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg and in Basel.

Discography

Ursula Holliger has recorded for Accord, Camerata,

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

, Deutsche Grammophon/Archiv,

Claves Records Claves Records is a Swiss classical record label, which was founded in 1968 by Marguerite Dütschler-Hüber (1931–2006) in Thun. History Marguerite Dütschler-Hüber founded Claves with business partner Ursula Pfaehler when her piano teacher ...

, Néos et Novalis. * Haendel's ''Concerto for harp in B-flat major'', HWV 294 -

I Musici I Musici (pronounced ), also known as I Musici di Roma, is an Italian chamber orchestra from Rome formed in 1951. They are well known for their interpretations of Baroque and other works, particularly Antonio Vivaldi and Tomaso Albinoni. Among ...

(October 1970, Philips 462 179-2) * Lutosławski's ''Concerto for oboe and harp'' (Philips) * ''Saudades'':

Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buen ...

's Concerto for harp - Kammerorchester Serenata Basel, dir. Johannes Schlaefli (September 1992, Pan Classics) * ''Chefs-d'œuvre français pour harpe'':

André Caplet André Caplet (23 November 1878 – 22 April 1925) was a French composer and conductor of classical music. He was a friend of Claude Debussy and completed the orchestration of several of Debussy's compositions as well as arrangements of severa ...

;

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

;

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

; - Ursula Holliger, harp;

, flute;

Serge Collot Serge Collot (27 December 1923 – 11 August 2015) was a French violist and music educator. Biography Born in Paris, Collot studied viola at the Conservatoire de Paris with Maurice Vieux, chamber music with Joseph Calvet, and composition with ...

, viola; Hans Rudolf Stalder,Hans Rudolf Stalder
on Discogs clarinette; Kammermusiker Zurich (Claves) * ''Recital for two harps'':

Franck Franck can refer to: People * Franck (name) Other * Franck (company), Croatian coffee and snacks company * Franck (crater), Lunar crater named after James Franck See also

* Franc (disambiguation) * Franks * Frank (disambiguation) * Fran ...

;

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

; Fauré; Schumann (29-30 April and 26-27 June 1995, Claves) * ''Inner song: chamber music'': Elliott Carter (''Trilogy'') (1997, Philips)

References

External links

Official Website

Ursula Hollinger
s discography on Discogs
Ursula Hollinger
on Contrechamps
Recital for two Harps - Ursula Holliger & C. Eisenhoffer - C. Franck: Prelude, Fugue & Variation
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Holliger, Ursula 1937 births Musicians from Basel-Stadt 2014 deaths Swiss harpists Royal Conservatory of Brussels alumni Hochschule für Musik Freiburg faculty