Beat Furrer

Full biography Beat Furrer

Beat Furrer is an Austrian composer who has made significant contributions to contemporary music. He was born in Switzerland in 1954 and studied music at various institutions including the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Furrer's music is known for its fragile and delicate nature, with a dynamic range that often stays on the soft side.

In the late 1990s, Furrer, along with Ernst Kovacic, founded "impuls" as an international ensemble and composer academy for contemporary music in Graz. He has also created many notable works, including his first opera, Orpheus's Books, which premiered in 2001.

Furrer is passionate about the relationship between nature and music, something which is evident in many of his compositions, including his 2005 piece "FAMA". He believes that nature plays a crucial role in music and that we have become detached from nature in contemporary society.

Furrer's music has been performed extensively around the world, and he has received numerous awards and accolades for his work. He founded Klangforum Wien, a contemporary chamber ensemble in Vienna, in 1985 and served as its artistic director until 2018. Furrer continues to be an influential figure in contemporary music and his works continue to be performed and admired worldwide.