Bettina Skrzypczak: Biography / Portrait
Born in Poznan, Poland
1981 Diploma in piano at Bydgoszcz;
begins studying music at the Academy of Music in Poznan
1985 Degree in music theory (thesis: "The Relationship between Words and Music in Robert Schumann's Liederkreis op. 39")
1988 Diploma in composition with Andrzej Koszewski
1984-88 Takes part in the composition courses organised in Kazimierz by the Polish section of the ISCM, where teachers include Witold Lutoslawski, Luigi Nono, Henri Pousseur, and Iannis Xenakis (photo)
1988 Moves to Switzerland; studies in Basle with Thomas Kessler (electronic music) and Rudolf Kelterborn (composition), and in Fribourg (musicology with Jürg Stenzl); complementary studies with Hans Saner (cultural philosophy)
1990 Computer music course with Klarenz Barlow in Cologne
1990-92 Takes part in a free-improvisation group in Basle (with Walter Faehndrich)
1992 Member of the program committee and lecturer at a Polish-Swiss Music Week in Wroclaw
1995 Starts collaboration with Ricordi Publishers, Munich; Lecturer in music history, theory and aesthetics of music at the Music University Lucerne; since 2004 specialising in composition and theory
1996 Artistic advisor to the Contemporary Music Festival in Cracow
1996 Elected to the Board of the Foundation Artists' House, Boswil
1999 Conceives and directs a composition seminar in Boswil on "Chaos and Order in 20th Century Music" (Guest composer: Dieter Schnebel)
1999 Gains doctorate at the Academy of Music, Cracow
2001 Member of the composition jury of the Aargauer Kuratorium (also in 2004)
2002 Appointment as a professor at the Music University Lucerne
2003 Workshop and lecture at the Warsaw Academy of Music;
jury member of the Foundation Nico Kaufmann, Zurich
2004 Lecturer at the International Courses of New Music in Darmstadt;
2005 Jury member of the composers' competition in Boswil;
founder and artistic director of the "Ensemble Boswil", a Swiss contemporary music ensemble promoting young artists, with yearly workshops in Boswil followed by a concert tour; first meeting in October (cond. Jürg Wyttenbach)
2006 Guest lecturer (with workshop) at the European Chamber Music Academy, Hannover;
lecture "Poèmes logiques. Artistic Vision and Stochastic Method in the Works of Iannis Xenakis" at the scientific conference "Musica practica, musica theoretica" at the Music Academy, Poznan;
second workshop and concert tour with Ensemble Boswil (cond. Peter Hirsch)
2007 Artistic advisor and programme designer of the concert to the 300th birthday of Leonhard Euler in Basel (with first performance of anomalia Lunae media);
series of lectures "How to Listen to Contemporary Music?" at the Music School, Riehen (works by Grisey, Lachenmann and Lutoslawski);
third workshop and concert tour with Ensemble Boswil (cond. Rüdiger Bohn)
2008 Lecture within the scope of the series "komponieren heute" (composing today) at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich;
fourth workshop and concert tour with Ensemble Boswil (cond. Pierre-Alain Monot)
Bettina Skrzypczak has had compositions commissioned by, among others: the Venice Music Biennale, the Festival Warsaw Autumn, the International Balzan Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture, the Lucerne Festival, Bavarian State Opera Munich, Radio DRS, Radio Suisse Romande, the Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia, the Gesellschaft für Kammermusik in Basle, Amati Quartet, Amar Quartet, Arion Wind Quintet, Basel Sinfonietta, Basler Madrigalisten, Tage für neue Musik in Zurich, Migros-Genossenschaftsbund in Zürich. She is the author of numerous radio programs and journal articles on contemporary music and music in Poland. She lives in Riehen, near Basle.
Prizes
1989 Prize for the orchestral piece Verba at the Zagreb Music Biennale's competition for young composers
1990 Prize for Percussion Trio in the Tadeusz Baird Competition, Warsaw
1992 Honorable mention for the 2nd String Quartet at the "Tribune internationale des compositeurs", Paris
1994 Prize for the orchestral piece Variabile at the 10th International Competition for Women Composers, Mannheim
1996 Cultural Recognition Prize of the City of Basle
2001 Composition Grant of Canton and City of Lucerne
2004 Cultural Prize of the City of Riehen
2008 Composition Grant of Canton and City of Lucerne
Last update: 6.2.2010
