Matthias Bamert

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Born: July 5, 1942 - Ersiten, Switzerland

Matthias Bamert studied music in his native Switzerland, as well as in Darmstadt and Paris with Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen; their influences can be detected in his own compositions from the 1970s. He spent from 1965 to 1969 as principal oboist with the Salzburg Mozart Orchestra, but then switched to conducting.

Matthias Bamert’s conducting career began in North America as an apprentice to George Szell and later as Assistant Conductor to Leopold Stokowski, and Resident Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel. He was music director of the Swiss Radio Orchestra from 1977 to 1983, then began making a wider reputation across Europe.

He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra and Director of the Glasgow contemporary music festival Musica Nova from 1985 to 1990. He became known for his innovative programming and has conducted the world premieres of works by many composers such as Toru Takemitsu, John Casken, James MacMillan and Wolfgang Rihm. Since 1987 he has been resident in London. His gift for imaginative programming came to the fore during his tenure as Director of the Lucerne Festival from 1992 to 1998, when he was also responsible for the opening of a new concert hall, instituted a new Easter Festival, a piano festival, expanded the programme and increased the festival’s activities.

Although Bamert has a solid reputation as a conductor of the standard repertory, he is best known for his work on behalf of new music, obscure 18th century music, and neglected music from all eras. He is known to be able to master new scores in very little time, and bring off highly effective premieres in concert and on CD. A prolific recording artist, he has made over 60 discs, many of which have won international prizes, and he continues to record extensively with Chandos Records, in a wide repertoire – Mozart’s contemporaries with the London Mozart Players, Parry (the complete symphonies) and Frank Martin (5 discs) with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the symphonies of Roberto Gerhard with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Dutch composers with the Residentie Orchestra, a series devoted to Leopold Stokowski arrangements, concert music by Korngold and Ernő Dohnányi with the BBC Philharmonic.

Among his own compositions, Mantrajana was recorded by the Louisville Symphony Orchestra by their own record label (the composer conducting) in 1974 (Louisville Orchestra LS 741).