Beat Furrer Austrian composer and conductor of Swiss origin Date of Birth: 06.12.1954 Country: Austria

Biography of Beat Furrer

Beat Furrer, an Austrian composer and conductor of Swiss origin, was born on December 6, 1954 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He began studying piano at the conservatory in his hometown and in 1975, he moved to Vienna to study composition under the guidance of Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, a renowned Polish and Israeli composer, and conducting with Austrian conductor Otmar Suitner.

In 1985, Furrer became one of the founders of the ensemble 'Klangforum Wien', which is now considered one of the leading contemporary music collectives in Europe, and became its conductor. He also served as the artistic director of this 24-member ensemble until July 1992. 'Klangforum Wien' has received several prestigious awards, including the Music Prize of the City of Vienna in 2003 and the Golden Lion for the monodrama 'FAMA' at the Venice Biennale in 2006.

Since 1991, Beat Furrer has held the position of composition professor at the Graz University of Music and Dramatic Arts. In 2010, 'Klangforum Wien' celebrated its 25th anniversary with a concert at the 'Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik' festival, premiering Furrer's composition 'Xenos-Szenen' for eight voices and ensemble.

Since 2005, Furrer has been a member of the music section of the Academy of the Arts in Berlin.