Matthias Bamert
Encyclopedia
Matthias Bamert is a Swiss composer
and conductor
.
Matthias Bamert studied music in his native Switzerland as well as in Paris and Darmstadt
, falling in with the likes of Pierre Boulez
and Karlheinz Stockhausen
; these associations can be detected in his own compositions from the 1970's. From 1965 until 1969 he was principal oboist with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg.
Matthias Bamert's conducting career began in North America as an apprentice to George Szell
and later as Assistant Conductor to Leopold Stokowski
, and Resident Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra
under Lorin Maazel
. He was music director of the Swiss Radio Orchestra from 1977 to 1983, then began making a wider reputation across Europe.
Principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
and Director of the Glasgow
contemporary music festival "Musica Nova" from 1985 to 1990, Bamert conducted world premieres of works by many composers, such as Toru Takemitsu
, John Casken
, James MacMillan and Wolfgang Rihm
. His gift for imaginary programming came to the fore during his tenure as Director of the Lucerne Festival
from 1992 to 1998, when he was also responsible for the opening of a new concert hall, instituted a new Easter Festival as well as a piano festival, expanded the program and increased the festival’s activities several times over.
Music Director of the London Mozart Players from 1993 to 2000, Matthias Bamert has masterminded a hugely successful series of recordings for Chandos Records
entitled 'Contemporaries of Mozart' which has already exceeded 70 symphonies. He has worked frequently in the concert hall and studio with such orchestras as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and BBC Symphony Orchestra, appears regularly at the London Proms and with orchestras outside of London, such as the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. From 2000 to 2005 he was principal guest conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
.
From 2003 to 2008 Matthias Bamert was associate guest conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In the USA he has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the National Symphony. He is a regular guest in the Far East and Australasia, including concerts with the NHK Symphony, the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras. From 2003 until 2007 he was principal conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
in Perth and from 2005 until 2008 of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
in Kuala Lumpur.
Matthias Bamert guest conducts extensively in Europe with such orchestras as the Orchestre de Paris, Berliner Sinfoniker, Helsinki Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Wiener Sinfoniker and Warsaw Philharmonic, among others.
A prolific recording artist, he has made over 80 discs, many of which have won international prizes.
Bamert was named chief conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
in November 2004, and served in the post from 2005 to 2008.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Matthias Bamert studied music in his native Switzerland as well as in Paris and Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, falling in with the likes of Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
and Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
; these associations can be detected in his own compositions from the 1970's. From 1965 until 1969 he was principal oboist with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Salzburg.
Matthias Bamert's conducting career began in North America as an apprentice to George Szell
George Szell
George Szell , originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer...
and later as Assistant Conductor to Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
, and Resident Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
under Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
. He was music director of the Swiss Radio Orchestra from 1977 to 1983, then began making a wider reputation across Europe.
Principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
and Director of the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
contemporary music festival "Musica Nova" from 1985 to 1990, Bamert conducted world premieres of works by many composers, such as Toru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu
was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre...
, John Casken
John Casken
John Casken is an English composer, born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England.Casken read music at the University of Birmingham, studying composition and contemporary music with John Joubert and Peter Dickinson. He then went on to study in Poland with Andrzej Dobrowolski on a Polish government...
, James MacMillan and Wolfgang Rihm
Wolfgang Rihm
Wolfgang Rihm is a German composer.Rihm is Head of the Institute of Modern Music at the Karlsruhe Conservatory of Music and has been composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival and the Salzburg Festival...
. His gift for imaginary programming came to the fore during his tenure as Director of the Lucerne Festival
Lucerne Festival
- History :The festival was founded in 1938 with a series of concerts in the gardens of Wagner's villa conducted by Arturo Toscanini, who had formed an orchestra with members of different orchestras and soloists for the concert...
from 1992 to 1998, when he was also responsible for the opening of a new concert hall, instituted a new Easter Festival as well as a piano festival, expanded the program and increased the festival’s activities several times over.
Music Director of the London Mozart Players from 1993 to 2000, Matthias Bamert has masterminded a hugely successful series of recordings for Chandos Records
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
entitled 'Contemporaries of Mozart' which has already exceeded 70 symphonies. He has worked frequently in the concert hall and studio with such orchestras as the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and BBC Symphony Orchestra, appears regularly at the London Proms and with orchestras outside of London, such as the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. From 2000 to 2005 he was principal guest conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of New Zealand. It is a crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, with 90 full-time players....
.
From 2003 to 2008 Matthias Bamert was associate guest conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In the USA he has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the National Symphony. He is a regular guest in the Far East and Australasia, including concerts with the NHK Symphony, the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras. From 2003 until 2007 he was principal conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...
in Perth and from 2005 until 2008 of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra is a Malaysian orchestra, resident at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra gives concerts throughout Malaysia and also in Singapore....
in Kuala Lumpur.
Matthias Bamert guest conducts extensively in Europe with such orchestras as the Orchestre de Paris, Berliner Sinfoniker, Helsinki Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Wiener Sinfoniker and Warsaw Philharmonic, among others.
A prolific recording artist, he has made over 80 discs, many of which have won international prizes.
Bamert was named chief conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra is a Malaysian orchestra, resident at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra gives concerts throughout Malaysia and also in Singapore....
in November 2004, and served in the post from 2005 to 2008.
External links
- Bamert's discography at Theclassicalshop.net Linked to from Chandos Records
- Biography
- "International Matthias Bamert Society" April Fools' Joke Linked at Alex Ross' blog