Composer
Biography:
Nikolaus Brass , born in Lindau on Lake Constance in 1949, initially studied medicine and composition privately with Peter Kiesewetter at the Munich Academy of Music. He completed his medical studies at the Free University of Berlin. At the same time, he studied composition with Frank Michael Beyer and later privately with Helmut Lachenmann. Between 1978 and 1986, he repeatedly attended the Darmstadt Summer Courses, where he also met Morton Feldman. After being invited to the Gaudeamus Muziekweek in the Netherlands, he began publishing his compositions in 1981.
Since then, numerous world premieres and first performances have taken place at the most important festivals for new music (including Donaueschinger Musiktage, musica viva Munich, Ultraschall Berlin, ECLAT Stuttgart, Klangspuren Schwaz, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik). In addition to orchestral works such as Der Garten for four male voices and orchestra (premiered in 2012 under Peter Eötvös; musica viva), his work focuses on music for voices such as fallacies of hope – deutsches requiem, with text projections from the novel Die Ästhetik des Widerstands by Peter Weiss for 32 voices (premiered in 2014, SWR Vocal Ensemble under Florian Helgath; ECLAT) and chamber music. Most recently, Brass has devoted himself increasingly to scenic projects (world premiere of his chamber music theatre piece Sommertag based on the drama of the same name by Jon Fosse, at the Munich Biennale 2014). He has also appeared as the author of radio programmes and magazine articles.
Nikolaus Brass has received numerous prizes and awards, including the Music Prize of the City of Munich in 2009. He has been a member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts since 2014.
Albums:
Figuren der Sehnsucht – Works for Meantone Tempered Accordion:
Choral and Orchestral Works Vol. 2:
Works for Clarinet and Strings:
Zeit im Grund – Von wachsender Gegenwart:
