Georg Friedrich Haas
I don't trust relationships that become apparent only in the score and not through the immediate sensual perception. I hope that in my music, intuition and rational control are balanced. Georg Friedrich Haas
In spite of all the contrasts that can be felt in the music of Georg Friedrich Haas, the composer's central focus is the sensual stimulus of the sound and an interest in a live instrumental tone, while still maintaining and not contradicting the more conceptual aspects of his compositions. Born in Graz in 1953, he pursued his studies both in his native town with Gösta Neuwirth and Ivan Eröd, and later in Vienna with Friedrich Cerha. Already as a student, he investigated different concepts of microtonal systems, consulting the oeuvre of composers like Wyschnegradsky, Hába, Tenney, Nono and Grisey.
Microtonality thus became an important denominator in his work early on, as in his chamber opera Nacht which was premiered with great success at the Bregenz Festival in 1996. After initial experiments with quarter tones he began to explore sound as a set of iridescent intermediate values in the mid-eighties. In pieces such as his First String Quartet (1997) he worked intensively with overtone constellations - a process that culminated in his ensemble piece in vain (2000).
Before long, Georg Friedrich Haas' works were being performed at the most prominent contemporary music festivals. He garnered much attention at the Salzburg Festival 1999 as the featured Next Generation composer. The Bregenz Festival commissioned another chamber opera (Die schöne Wunde) which was premiered in 2003 by Klangforum Wien. In the same year, the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra performed his work Natures mortes in Donaueschingen, where in 2006 Hyperion. Concerto for light and orchestra also met with great acclaim.
Many renowned symphony orchestras have performed works by Georg Friedrich Haas, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic (Cello Concerto, 2004), Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg (Sieben Klangräume, 2005), Cleveland Orchestra (Poème, 2006), Munich Philharmonic (Bruchstück, 2007), Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (Piano Concerto, 2007), WDR Radio Symphony Orchestra Cologne (BariSaxophone Concerto, 2008) and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Traum in des Sommers Nacht, 2009). His opera Melancholia has been performed in various opera houses since its successful premiere at the Opéra National de Paris in 2008.
Last season, Georg Friedrich Haas' music was once again featured in Donaueschingen with the performance of his work for six pianos and orchestra. In January 2011, the world premiere of a new piece commissioned by Mozartwoche Salzburg, Wigmore Hall London and the Philharmonie Cologne in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Hagen Quartett was given. Great anticipation surrounds Georg Friedrich Haas' new chamber opera Bluthaus. Featuring a libretto by Händl Klaus, the opera's world premiere took place in April 2011 at the Schwetzinger Festspiele. A joint commission from the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra rounded out the season's Haas premieres this coming summer. Georg Friedrich Haas started off the 2011/2012 season as composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival, where some of his most important works were performed as well as the world premiere of his string quartet no. 7 with electronics written for the Arditti Quartet. In 2012, Haas' latest work, Duchcov for choir a cappella, will be premiered by the Bavarian Radio Choir in Munich. This summer, his work for ensemble entitled "ich suchte, aber ich fand ihn nicht" will have its world premiere in Munich performed by the ensemble musikFabrik Köln.
Georg Friedrich Haas has received numerous composition awards and was honoured with the Grand Austrian State Prize in 2007. He has been a member of the Austrian Kunstsenat since May 2011.
In spite of all the contrasts that can be felt in the music of Georg Friedrich Haas, the composer's central focus is the sensual stimulus of the sound and an interest in a live instrumental tone, while still maintaining and not contradicting the more conceptual aspects of his compositions. Born in Graz in 1953, he pursued his studies both in his native town with Gösta Neuwirth and Ivan Eröd, and later in Vienna with Friedrich Cerha. Already as a student, he investigated different concepts of microtonal systems, consulting the oeuvre of composers like Wyschnegradsky, Hába, Tenney, Nono and Grisey.
Microtonality thus became an important denominator in his work early on, as in his chamber opera Nacht which was premiered with great success at the Bregenz Festival in 1996. After initial experiments with quarter tones he began to explore sound as a set of iridescent intermediate values in the mid-eighties. In pieces such as his First String Quartet (1997) he worked intensively with overtone constellations - a process that culminated in his ensemble piece in vain (2000).
Before long, Georg Friedrich Haas' works were being performed at the most prominent contemporary music festivals. He garnered much attention at the Salzburg Festival 1999 as the featured Next Generation composer. The Bregenz Festival commissioned another chamber opera (Die schöne Wunde) which was premiered in 2003 by Klangforum Wien. In the same year, the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra performed his work Natures mortes in Donaueschingen, where in 2006 Hyperion. Concerto for light and orchestra also met with great acclaim.
Many renowned symphony orchestras have performed works by Georg Friedrich Haas, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic (Cello Concerto, 2004), Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg (Sieben Klangräume, 2005), Cleveland Orchestra (Poème, 2006), Munich Philharmonic (Bruchstück, 2007), Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (Piano Concerto, 2007), WDR Radio Symphony Orchestra Cologne (BariSaxophone Concerto, 2008) and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Traum in des Sommers Nacht, 2009). His opera Melancholia has been performed in various opera houses since its successful premiere at the Opéra National de Paris in 2008.
Last season, Georg Friedrich Haas' music was once again featured in Donaueschingen with the performance of his work for six pianos and orchestra. In January 2011, the world premiere of a new piece commissioned by Mozartwoche Salzburg, Wigmore Hall London and the Philharmonie Cologne in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Hagen Quartett was given. Great anticipation surrounds Georg Friedrich Haas' new chamber opera Bluthaus. Featuring a libretto by Händl Klaus, the opera's world premiere took place in April 2011 at the Schwetzinger Festspiele. A joint commission from the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra rounded out the season's Haas premieres this coming summer. Georg Friedrich Haas started off the 2011/2012 season as composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival, where some of his most important works were performed as well as the world premiere of his string quartet no. 7 with electronics written for the Arditti Quartet. In 2012, Haas' latest work, Duchcov for choir a cappella, will be premiered by the Bavarian Radio Choir in Munich. This summer, his work for ensemble entitled "ich suchte, aber ich fand ihn nicht" will have its world premiere in Munich performed by the ensemble musikFabrik Köln.
Georg Friedrich Haas has received numerous composition awards and was honoured with the Grand Austrian State Prize in 2007. He has been a member of the Austrian Kunstsenat since May 2011.
Photo: Universal Edition / Eric Marinitsch