Alfred Felder

Biography

Alfred Felder received "Kunstpreis 2018" as a composer - Carl Heinrich Ernst Arts Endowment Award as a composer.

Born in 1950 in Lucerne, Switzerland, Alfred Felder studied violoncello and composition at the Lucerne Conservatory. After receiving his teacher's diploma cum laude for violoncello he went on to gain his soloist's diploma from the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, Austria. Masterclasses Paul Tortelier.

From 1977 until 1983 he was a member of Festival Strings Lucerne. In addition to being solo ‘cellist of various chamber orchestras, Alfred Felder has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in most European countries, as well as Canada, India, China, and Japan.

Mr. Felder has received numerous composition commissions from the city of Zurich, Tonhalle Gesellschaft Zurich, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Festival Strings Lucerne, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Swiss Philharmonic Orchestra, the Forum for New Music, Theater am Gleis, to name but a few. His orchestral works have been performed at various festivals including in Tokyo at the Osaka Festival, in South Africa, in many cities of the USA, Canada, in Russia, China, at the Lucerne Festival and in most Europaen Countries.

Âtesh (Persian for fire), for mixed choir, childrens choir, soprano, bariton and large orchestra was performed in two concerts in 2007 in Zurich to rave reviews.  The concerts were under the joint patronage of the Swiss and Turkish national commission for UNESCO. In october 2011 âtesh has been played in the Berlin Philharmonie as a first performance in Germany. 3 choirs (Berliner Konzertchor, Konzertchor Harmonie and G.F. Händel Childrens choir)

March 2012, khamush (silence) for Bariton, mixed choir and large orchestra has been performend with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich in the sold out Tonhalle Zurich.

Mr. Felder has written for many different chamber music groups from duo to octett as well as  concertos for violin and orchestra, ‘cello and orchestra, and double concerto (violin,‘cello and orchestra), performances of which have taken place in several European countries.

“...pasar por la calle...” for string orchestra has been performed by many orchestras, for example SONYC (string orchestra of New York City), Festival Strings Lucerne, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Les Solistes de Genève etc.

 Alfred Felder composed the compulsory pieces for the International Shlomo Mintz Violin competition (2006 Capriccio and 2007 Variations for Violin Solo).

As a commission from the Brandenburgischen Staatsorchester Frankfurt  Alfred Felder's composition, delaram - music for Baritone and orchestra, has been premiered on February 13th 2015.

Several CDs of his work have been produced by VDE Gallo, swiss pan, Centaur Records and roccosound. Alfred Felder's works are published by the Swiss Music Edition SME, Breitkopf & Härtel, Kano-Verlag, and Gilgenreiner-Verlag. All his manuscripts have been donated to Zurich's Central Library.

April 2013 Invitation to Charlotte North Carolina USA to the Festival "Sensoria - a celebration of the arts" where an orchestral work was being performed, lectures and teaching.

October 2013 the new CD with Felder's pianotrio "the second attention" played by Artemis-Trio is available, at VDE-Gallo CD 1409, in Lausanne www.vdegallo.ch

"memoir - following a trace of my memory" for piano solo available on CD, played by Luisa Splett,  www.roccosound.ch  

April 2014 another Invitation to Charlotte, North Carolina USA to the Festival "Sensoria", world premier of a new piece "...past, present and future..." for Soprano and ensemble (Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Violoncello, double bass and Piano)

February 2015 world premier in Frankfurt - "delaram" music for Baritone and Orchestra with the wonderful Brandenburgische Staatsorchester and Robert Koller, Baritone

April 2015 Sensoria- Festival of the Arts, Charlotte, North Carolina USA, Furusato music for stringquartet

 "Walpurgisnacht - Goethes Faust I" for Tenor, Baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, for Konzertchor Harmonie Zürich and Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, concert Mai 27th 2016 (commisoned to celebrate the Choirs 175th aniversary)

Alfred Felder's Stringquartet "Jesus von Nazareth, 7 last words - Fanasies for String quartet for the Winterthurer Streichquartett, world premiere on 4 Stainer instruments, a program from the SWISS CHAMBERMUSIC CONCERTS

2015  5 world premiers:

Feb 13th .2015  Frankfurt: delaram, music for Baritone and Orchestera, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester
 
April 13th 2015  Charlotte, North Carolina USA, Sensoria-Festival, Furusato, Music for Stringquartet
 
April 24th .2015  Zürich, Sonett for Harp und Piano
 
April 30th 2015 Geneva, Shades of Time - 4 Aspects of Time, Music for Flute, Clarinet and Harp

September 2015   Winterthur Vision quest, Music for Clarinet, Violoncello and Piano

2016 world premiers:

April 04th 2016  Zürich St. Peter "Jesus von Nazareth, 7 last words" - Fantasies for string quartet

Mai 19 2016  Vision quest - music for Clarinet, Violoncello and Piano

Mai 27th 2016  Zürich Tonhalle, Szenen der Walpurgisnacht aus Goethes Faust I for Tenor, Bariton, mixed choir and Orchestra

September 9th-13th 2016  Camerata Helvetica will be playing 5 Concerts in Tschechien, Sagemattler-Walzer for Stringorchestra

January 7th 2017  premier   -Water -  played by Winterthurer Youth Sinfonie Orchestra, Stadthaus Winterthur

June 2nd 2017 premier : "TÄNZ" imaginäre Schweizer Volksmusik for Orchestra, played by Orchestra Musikkollegium Winterthur  Stadthaus Winterthur 19.30 oclock

2018 Alfred Felder receives the "2018 Kunstpreis" Prize for the arts as a composer's lifetime achievement award from the Carl-Heinrich-Ernst-Foundation.

ZURICH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA commissions a new work for their US-Tour in November 2019

Opera "Walpurgisnacht" after the play Faust  from J.W. Goethe will get its premiere on March 27th in Zurich and March 28th 2020 in Winterthur - Sopran, Mezzosopran, Tenor, Bassbariton, mixed Choir and Orchestra, commissoined by Musikkollegium Winterthur  (postponed!)

Jesus von Nazareth, 7 last words will be performed 5 times beginning of April 2021

Pfingstfestival Schloss Brunegg, Composer in residence, May 2024, in all 6 concerts Felder's music will be played, worldpremiere of "love letters" for Violin and Viola

     

Opera "Walpurgisnacht" Premier April 3, 2025 Stadthaus Winterthur, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Zurich Chamber Soloists, Conducter: Christian Erny

  www.musinfo.ch      www.musicedition.ch    www.roccosound.ch

Texte online über Alfred Felder www.roccosound.ch

 

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