Beat Furrer

Beat Furrer is a master of expressive internalisation and meticulous illumination of the dramatic instant. At the same time, his work is marked by structural density in all genres. Born in 1954 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, the composer studied composition in Vienna with Roman Haubenstock-Ramati and conducting with Otmar Suitner. In 1985, Beat Furrer founded Klangforum Wien. He was commissioned by the Wiener Staatsoper to compose the opera “Die Blinden” in 1989 and has since composed further music theatre works for the Steirischer Herbst and the Bonn and Zurich operas. In 1991 Beat Furrer was appointed professor for composition in Graz. In 2004 he received the city of Vienna’s music award, in 2005 he became a member of Berlin’s Academy of the Arts, and in 2006 he was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale.