Klaus Huber

Swiss composer and academic Klaus Huber was born in Bern on 30 November 1924. He studied at Zürich Conservatory with Stefi Geyer, and composition with Willy Burkhard in Zürich then later with Boris Blacher in Berlin.

Writing initially in a serial style influenced by Anton Webern, he first came to attention in 1959 with the first performance of his chamber cantata Des Engels Anredung an die Seele at the IGNM World Music Days in Rome, and went on to be ranked alongside Boulez and Stockhausen. Socially and politically aware, his music has a humanist dimension, and was influenced by Arabic music and poetry, biblical prophets and medieval mysticism. He wrote Schwarzerde - a stage work in nine sequences, plus orchestral and ensemble works, choral, vocal, chamber and solo instrumental music.

Living in Bremen and Panicale (where he founded the concert series Musica insieme Panicale in 1998 and was an honorary citizen), Huber also held a series of international teaching posts, and his students included Brian Ferneyhough, Toshio Hosokawa, Wolfgang Rihm and Kaija Saariaho.

Klaus Huber died in Perugia on 2 October 2017, aged ninety-two.

 

A selection of articles about Klaus Huber

Ensemble. Outer Spaces - A homage to Beat Furrer in Salzburg, by Giuseppe Pennisi