Composer
Biography:
The portrait of Matthias Arter is shaped by the wide range of his activities. He is a soloist, composer, ensemble and orchestra musician, university lecturer and project manager, and each of these roles also influences the other aspects of his personality as an artist. Raised and initially trained in Zurich (with Peter Fuchs and Thomas Indermühle), he later studied with Heinz Hollinger (Freiburg im Breisgau) and also received important inspiration from personalities in the early music scene such as Johann Sonnleitner, Matthias Weilenmann and Pedro Memelsdorff.
His work with his ensembles (Octomania, Arion Quintet, æquatuor) has accompanied and shaped him for many years. Regular recitals with various pianists, harpist Priska Zaugg and guitarist/theorbo player Markus Hochuli showcase his repertoire, which ranges from Renaissance to contemporary music. His solo programmes are a speciality, always pushing the boundaries of his instruments to the limit – three of them have been recorded on CD so far: Oboe solo, Oboe plus and Couleurs. His instruments include the musette and bass oboe from the oboe family, as well as the melodica and, occasionally, an instrument he developed in collaboration with visual artist Vincenzo Baviera: the cyclophone.
The projects initiated and led by Matthias Arter are often transdisciplinary in nature, which never means a mere juxtaposition of different art forms. On the contrary, each element and each participating artist should influence and shape the other disciplines. Particularly exciting in this context is the encounter with other cultures: numerous concert tours and intensive contacts with musicians, especially from the countries of the Caucasus and the former Yugoslavia, lead to a deeper understanding of what at first glance may seem different or foreign, and many of the friendships formed in this way lead to invitations and artistic partnerships across cultural and political boundaries. This intercultural work began in close collaboration with Boris Previšic and is carried out under the umbrella of the non-profit association “pre-art”.
Performances of his works have been given at the Days for New Music Zurich, the Musikpodium der Stadt Zürich and other festivals in Switzerland, Germany, Georgia, Armenia, Canada and Albania. Matthias Arter also works as a conductor, teaches oboe, chamber music and improvisation at the Bern University of the Arts, and is principal oboist in the Basel Chamber Orchestra and the Collegium Novum Zurich. Since 2007, he has been president of the Swiss Composers' Association (STV), the Swiss composers' association.
Albums:
