Gerd Kühr
Born in 1952. He studied composition with Josef Friedrich Doppelbauer at the Salzburg “Mozarteum” and with Hans Werner Henze in Cologne, as well as conducting with Gerhard Wimberger (“Mozarteum”) and with Sergiu Celibidache. He worked as a coach at the Cologne Opera and at the Graz Opera. As orchestral and opera conductor he appears in Austria and abroad. 1992-1994 he was teaching composition as a guest professor at the Salzburg “Mozarteum”, since 1994 he is full professor of composition and theory of music at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz (Austria).
He has received numerous prizes, among others “Förderpreis” of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, Rolf-Liebermann-Stipendium für Opernkomponisten, Österreichischer Förderungspreis, Ernst-Krenek-Prize of the City Vienna.
As composer he has received many commissions (orchestra, ensemble, chamber music, choir), and his works are played at the renowned international festivals, f. i. Wien Modern, Almeida Festival, Huddersfield Festival, styrian autumn, Musica Viva, World Music Days, Bregenz Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.Artistic co-operation among others with Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble 20. Jahrhundert, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Broadcasting, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Choir of the Bavarian Broadcasting, with Ulf Schirmer, Emilio Pomárico, Friedrich Cerha, Lothar Zagrosek, Oliver Knussen, Arturo Tamayo as well as Paul Meyer, Heinrich Schiff, Stefan Vladar, Florian Kitt and Markus Hinterhäuser etc.
1985 International Rostrum of Composers (UNESCO, Paris), recommended work: Lamento e Conforto. In 1988 world premiere of his opera Stallerhof (libretto by Franz Xaver Kroetz) at the First Munich Biennale (new productions in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria), in 1999 world premiere of his opera Tod und Teufel (libretto by Peter Turrini) in the Graz Opera. Two portrait concerts (“next generation”) at the Salzburg Festival in 2000, in 2001/2002 composer in residence at the Wiener Concert-Verein (Chamber Orchestra of the Vienna Symphonic), in 2003 portrait concerts at the Styriarte Festival (Graz). 2005 Gerd Kühr Project (opening concert musikprotokoll, festival styrian autumn). 2006 International Rostrum of Composers (UNESCO, Paris), recommended work: Revue instrumentale et électronique.
Most of his works are published by Éditions Durand, Paris.
