Felix Werder

Australian composer Felix Werder was born Felix Bischofswerder in Berlin, Germany on 24 February 1922. His father was the composer Boaz Bischofswerder. Felix Werder studied fine arts and architecture in London and then moved to Australia in 1940 with his father, to avoid the Nazis. They were interned in a camp for the duration of World War II.

During the 1960s and 70s, Felix Werder's operas were well-received, including Private, which was commissioned for TV by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He lived in Melbourne and taught influential courses in sound synthesis and electronic music.

A concert in Melbourne on 24 February 2012 to celebrate Werder's ninetieth birthday included performances of three new works - performed by Michael Kieran Harvey and by the Silo String Quartet.

Felix Werder died in Melbourne on 3 May 2012, aged ninety.

 

A selection of articles about Felix Werder

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Wanted: Digital or Analogue