Role

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Composer

Birth

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1949 in Lindau on Lake Constance

 

Nikolaus Brass is a German composer who was born on January 23, 1949, in Lindau, Germany. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his father being a conductor and his mother a pianist. Brass began his musical education at a young age, studying piano and composition with his mother. He later went on to study composition with Klaus Huber at the Basel Music Academy and with György Ligeti at the Hamburg Music Academy. Brass's early works were heavily influenced by Ligeti's avant-garde style, but he soon developed his own unique voice. His music is characterized by its intricate textures, complex rhythms, and use of microtonality. He often draws inspiration from literature, art, and philosophy, and his works often explore themes of time, memory, and identity. One of Brass's most notable works is his opera "Die Vorüberlaufenden" (The Passing Ones), which premiered in 1995 at the Munich Biennale. The opera is based on a play by Peter Handke and tells the story of a man who is haunted by the memory of his dead wife. The music is characterized by its haunting melodies and intricate harmonies, and the opera has been praised for its powerful emotional impact. Another notable work by Brass is his "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra," which was premiered in 2001 by the Berlin Philharmonic. The concerto is characterized by its complex rhythms and use of microtonality, and it has been praised for its virtuosic piano writing and innovative orchestration. Brass has also composed a number of chamber works, including his "String Quartet No. 2," which was premiered in 1990 by the Arditti Quartet. The quartet is characterized by its intricate textures and use of microtonality, and it has been praised for its innovative approach to the string quartet genre. In addition to his work as a composer, Brass has also been a professor of composition at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München since 1994. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2003 and the Bavarian State Prize for Music in 2011. Overall, Nikolaus Brass is a highly respected composer whose works have been praised for their innovative approach to composition and their emotional impact. His music is characterized by its intricate textures, complex rhythms, and use of microtonality, and he has been a major influence on the contemporary classical music scene.

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