Role

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Composer

Birth

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1970 in Konigs Wusterhausen

 

Reiko Füting is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on December 4, 1970, in Tokyo, Japan. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his father being a composer and his mother a pianist. Füting started playing the piano at the age of four and began composing his own music at the age of six. Füting's family moved to Germany when he was nine years old, and he continued his musical education there. He studied composition with Walter Zimmermann at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin and later with Brian Ferneyhough at Stanford University in California. He also studied piano with Aloys Kontarsky and chamber music with Walter Levin. Füting's music is characterized by its complexity and experimentation with sound. He often incorporates extended techniques and unconventional instruments into his compositions, such as the use of a typewriter in his piece "Drei Klavierstücke" (Three Piano Pieces). His music has been described as "challenging" and "intellectually stimulating." One of Füting's most notable works is his opera "The Dowager," which premiered in 2013 at the Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, New York. The opera is based on the life of Empress Dowager Cixi of China and explores themes of power, gender, and identity. The music is a blend of Western and Eastern styles, with traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu and pipa being used alongside Western instruments. Another notable work by Füting is his "String Quartet No. 2," which was commissioned by the Arditti Quartet and premiered in 2015 at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in England. The piece is divided into three movements, each exploring different textures and timbres of the string quartet. The music is highly complex and requires a high level of technical skill from the performers. Füting has also composed several works for solo instruments, including "Zones d'accord" for solo piano and "tanz.tanz" for solo violin. These pieces showcase Füting's experimentation with extended techniques and unconventional sounds. In addition to his work as a composer, Füting is also a performer and conductor. He has conducted several premieres of his own works, as well as works by other contemporary composers. He has also performed as a pianist in various ensembles and as a soloist. Füting's music has been performed by numerous ensembles and orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Ensemble Modern. He has received several awards and honors for his work, including the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis in 2002 and the Aaron Copland Award in 2014. Overall, Reiko Füting is a highly respected and innovative composer in the contemporary classical music world. His music challenges traditional notions of composition and explores new sounds and textures. His works are complex and intellectually stimulating, requiring a high level of technical skill from performers. Füting's contributions to the world of classical music are significant and will continue to be celebrated for years to come.

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