Uzor Charles
(27. 04. 1961)
Biography
Charles Uzor was born in Udo Mbaise in Nigeria. At the age of seven, during the Biafra War, he came to Switzerland. In 1982, following his 'Matura' studies in St Gallen, he studied music in Rome followed by studies in oboe and composition at the conservatories of Berne and Zurich. In 1986 he met the oboist Gordon Hunt in Assisi and was encouraged to take up a post-graduate study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Charles Uzor received his recital diploma and a master's in composition from the University of London in 1990. He returned to Switzerland and began his dissertation on Melody and Inner Time-consciousness (finished in 2005).
Charles Uzor's work encompasses opera, dance, orchestra and choral works, his main interest, however, lies with works for small formations and song. In 1993 until 1998 he worked in close collaboration with Daniel Beriger and the Swiss ensemble La Notte, who specialised in performing his compositions, and the with the guitar quartet quasi fantasia, the Carmina Quartet and the clarinettist Wolfgang Meyer. From 1998 onwards there followed projects with the Percussion Art Ensemble Bern, Philipp Egli (dance theatre), Markus Eisenmann (painting), Astrid Kaminski (language) and the Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (NEC). In 2010 the NEC performed his violin concert 'For Aung San Suu Kyi' under the baton of Pierre-Alain Monot (soloist Rahel Cunz).
Charles Uzor's work encompasses opera, dance, orchestra and choral works, his main interest, however, lies with works for small formations and song. In 1993 until 1998 he worked in close collaboration with Daniel Beriger and the Swiss ensemble La Notte, who specialised in performing his compositions, and the with the guitar quartet quasi fantasia, the Carmina Quartet and the clarinettist Wolfgang Meyer. From 1998 onwards there followed projects with the Percussion Art Ensemble Bern, Philipp Egli (dance theatre), Markus Eisenmann (painting), Astrid Kaminski (language) and the Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (NEC). In 2010 the NEC performed his violin concert 'For Aung San Suu Kyi' under the baton of Pierre-Alain Monot (soloist Rahel Cunz).
Work list
Impromptu (1984/88)
for oboe solo
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
for oboe solo
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Canto I (1985/87)
La Notte bella
for soprano solo
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
La Notte bella
for soprano solo
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Canto I (1985/87)
La Notte bella
for soprano and ensemble (fl.2ob.cl/hn/pf/va.3vc) electronic tape ad libitum
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
La Notte bella
for soprano and ensemble (fl.2ob.cl/hn/pf/va.3vc) electronic tape ad libitum
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Canto I (1985/87)
La Notte bella
for soprano and harp
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
La Notte bella
for soprano and harp
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Canto IV (1985/87)
Finale
for alto and piano
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Finale
for alto and piano
Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Ricercare (1988)
for piano trio
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
for piano trio
Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Mouvement (1988)
for piano trio
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
for piano trio
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Scherzo (1988)
Cartesian Meditations
for piano trio
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Cartesian Meditations
for piano trio
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Impromptu IV (1988)
for oboe and piano
Duration: 30' 00"-40' 00"
Manuscript
for oboe and piano
Duration: 30' 00"-40' 00"
Manuscript
Cadenza (1989)
for piano solo
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
for piano solo
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch" (1989)
for organ
Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
for organ
Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Ricercare (1989-1991)
Piano concert
for piano solo, 2 harps, string orchestra (vn.va.vc.db) and percussion (4 players)
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
Piano concert
for piano solo, 2 harps, string orchestra (vn.va.vc.db) and percussion (4 players)
Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
White Paperflowers descending on Tienanmen Square (1989-1991)
Quintett
for 5 celli
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Quintett
for 5 celli
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Patmos (1992)
for viola and piano
Duration: 37' 00"
Manuscript
for viola and piano
Duration: 37' 00"
Manuscript
Kolophon (1993)
Fragment
for oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn and piano
Duration: 52' 00"
Manuscript
Fragment
for oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn and piano
Duration: 52' 00"
Manuscript
Le temps déborde (1996)
for organ
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
for organ
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Echnaton's Hymnos to Aton (1995/97)
Eclipse
for tenor solo and ensemble (wood, brass, large persussion (5 players), 2 harps, piano, string orchestra)
Texts: Echnaton / F. Kauf
Duration: 27' 00"
Manuscript
Eclipse
for tenor solo and ensemble (wood, brass, large persussion (5 players), 2 harps, piano, string orchestra)
Texts: Echnaton / F. Kauf
Duration: 27' 00"
Manuscript
Melodies 1-3 (1996-1997)
for piano
Duration: 22' 00"
Manuscript
for piano
Duration: 22' 00"
Manuscript
Le dur désir de durer (1996-1997)
Dit d'un jour
for piano
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Dit d'un jour
for piano
Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Music (1997)
Madrigal
for mixed choir and three percussion instruments
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Madrigal
for mixed choir and three percussion instruments
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Zimzum (1998)
In memoriam Sergio Quinzio
for 2 guitars (one guitar with sixth-tone scordatura and 10-stringed guitar)
Arrangement: Christian Bissig, Karin Rüdt.
Duration: 16' 00"
In memoriam Sergio Quinzio
for 2 guitars (one guitar with sixth-tone scordatura and 10-stringed guitar)
Arrangement: Christian Bissig, Karin Rüdt.
Duration: 16' 00"
Gitarrenforum Winterthur
c/o Bissig
Lustgartenstr. 9
CH-9000 St. Gallen
Lustgartenstr. 9
CH-9000 St. Gallen
Notre Vie (1998)
for voices (2S2ABarB) and ensemble (trombone, large percussion (5 players), 2 harps, piano, string orchestra)
Texts: Paul Eluard
Duration: 20' 00"
Manuscript
for voices (2S2ABarB) and ensemble (trombone, large percussion (5 players), 2 harps, piano, string orchestra)
Texts: Paul Eluard
Duration: 20' 00"
Manuscript
Madrigal (1998)
Sonnet 8 "Music to hear"
for voices (2S2ABarB) and ensemple (large percussion (3 players), 2 harps, piano, string orchestra)
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 20' 00"
Manuscript
Sonnet 8 "Music to hear"
for voices (2S2ABarB) and ensemple (large percussion (3 players), 2 harps, piano, string orchestra)
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 20' 00"
Manuscript
Go (1999)
Ballet for 5 Dancers and 7 Instruments
for clarinet (also bass clarinet), string quartet, piano, percussion
Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
Ballet for 5 Dancers and 7 Instruments
for clarinet (also bass clarinet), string quartet, piano, percussion
Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
Shakespeare's Sonnet 65 (1999)
for string quartet and electronic tape
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 35' 00"
Manuscript
for string quartet and electronic tape
Texts: William Shakespeare
Duration: 35' 00"
Manuscript
Black Tell (2000)
Opera Interludes and Finale
for soli (SATBarB), small choir, symphonic orchestra with large percussion
Texts: Nicolas Rhyner
Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
Opera Interludes and Finale
for soli (SATBarB), small choir, symphonic orchestra with large percussion
Texts: Nicolas Rhyner
Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
La Princesse de Samarkand (2001)
for large percussion (1 player)
Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
for large percussion (1 player)
Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
Petit Poucet (2002)
for four-handed piano
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
for four-handed piano
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
qui ainsi me refait ... veoir seulement et oïr (2003)
Guitar quartet
for octave guitar, terz guitar with sixth-tone scordatura, guitar and bass guitar
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Guitar quartet
for octave guitar, terz guitar with sixth-tone scordatura, guitar and bass guitar
Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Das süsseste Leben (2003)
3 lieder after Novalis
for three female voices and ensemble (cl/bcl, vn, va, vc, 2hp, 1-2perc)
"Sehnsucht nach dem Tode", "Ich weiss nicht was", "Das süsseste Leben".
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
3 lieder after Novalis
for three female voices and ensemble (cl/bcl, vn, va, vc, 2hp, 1-2perc)
"Sehnsucht nach dem Tode", "Ich weiss nicht was", "Das süsseste Leben".
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
a chantar ... (2003-2004)
Clarinet quintet
for clarinet (also bass clarinet), string quartet and electronic tape
Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
Clarinet quintet
for clarinet (also bass clarinet), string quartet and electronic tape
Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
qui plus aime .... (2005-2006)
Quintet
for percussion quartet and electronic tape
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Quintet
for percussion quartet and electronic tape
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Mother Tongue (2007)
for female voice and ensemble (fl, cl, tbn, vn, va, vc, perc)
On Igbo proverbs.
Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
for female voice and ensemble (fl, cl, tbn, vn, va, vc, perc)
On Igbo proverbs.
Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
"For Aung San Suu Kyi" (2008-2010)
Concert
for violin and ensemble (fl(pic).ob(ca).cl.bcl.hn/2perc/pf/va.vc.db)
Duration: 35' 00"-40' 00"
Manuscript
Concert
for violin and ensemble (fl(pic).ob(ca).cl.bcl.hn/2perc/pf/va.vc.db)
Duration: 35' 00"-40' 00"
Manuscript
Lieder für Bariton (2012)
Texts: Friedrich Kähr
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Texts: Friedrich Kähr
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Kontrafaktur zu BWV 21 (2012)
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
L'orée (2013)
Duration: 1' 30"
Manuscript
Duration: 1' 30"
Manuscript
sweet amygdala (2014)
Duration: 47' 00"
Manuscript
Duration: 47' 00"
Manuscript
Repertory
Johann Sebastian Bach: Oboenkonzert, F-Dur
Johann Sebastian Bach: Konzert, A-Dur für Oboe d'amore undStreicher
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonate, g-moll für Oboe und Cembalo
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Oboenkonzert, C-Dur
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Oboen-Quartett, F-Dur
Carl Nielsen: 2 Fantasiestücke, op. 2 für Oboe und Klavier
Francis Poulenc: Sonate für Oboe und Klavier
Francis Poulenc: Trio für Oboe, Fagott und Klavier
Makoto Shinohara: Obsession für Oboe und Klavier
Richard Strauss: Oboenkonzert
Bibliography
Uzor, Charles: Melody and the phenomenology of internal time awareness, University of London, London 2004
Heisch, Michael: Unfassbare Schönheiten, in: Dissonanz 101 (2008) [Internet]
Meyer, Thomas: Zentrum / Peripherie, in: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, November-Dezember 1997 6 (1997)