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Uzor Charles

(27. 04. 1961)

Uzor Charles
Uzor Charles
Poststrasse 12
CH-9000 St. Gallen (SG)
Schweiz

Tel: +41 (0)71 220 61 86
Fax: +41 (0)71 223 33 82

 

Genre: Classical Music
Professional activity: Composers, Interpreters, Authors
Biography
* 27. 04. 1961.

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).


Work list

Impromptu (1984/1988)

Instrumentation: for oboe solo

Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Canto I (1985/1987)
La Notte bella

Instrumentation: for soprano solo

Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti

Duration: 6' 00"
Manuscript
Canto I (1985/1987)
La Notte bella

Instrumentation: for soprano and ensemble (fl.2ob.cl/hn/pf/va.3vc) electronic tape ad libitum

Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Canto IV (1985/1987)
Finale

Instrumentation: for alto and piano

Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti

Duration: 4' 00"
Manuscript
Canto I (1985/1987)
La Notte bella

Instrumentation: for soprano and harp

Texts: Giuseppe Ungaretti

Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Mouvement (1988)

Instrumentation: for piano trio

Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Scherzo (1988)
Cartesian Meditations

Instrumentation: for piano trio

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Impromptu IV (1988)

Instrumentation: for oboe and piano

Duration: 30' 00"-40' 00"
Manuscript
Ricercare (1988)

Instrumentation: for piano trio

Duration: 5' 00"
Manuscript
Ricercare (1989-1991)
Piano concert

Instrumentation: for piano solo, 2 harps, string orchestra (vn.va.vc.db) and percussion (4 players)

Duration: 14' 00"
Manuscript
Cadenza (1989)

Instrumentation: for piano solo

Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
White Paperflowers descending on Tienanmen Square (1989-1991)
Quintett

Instrumentation: for 5 celli

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch" (1989)

Instrumentation: for organ

Duration: 8' 00"
Manuscript
Patmos (1992)

Instrumentation: for viola and piano

Duration: 37' 00"
Manuscript
Kolophon (1993)
Fragment

Instrumentation: for oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn and piano

Duration: 52' 00"
Manuscript
Echnaton's Hymnos to Aton (1995/1997)
Eclipse

Instrumentation: 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)

Instrumentation: for piano

Duration: 22' 00"
Manuscript
Le dur désir de durer (1996-1997)
Dit d'un jour

Instrumentation: for piano

Duration: 2' 00"
Manuscript
Le temps déborde (1996)

Instrumentation: for organ

Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Music (1997)
Madrigal

Instrumentation: for mixed choir and three percussion instruments

Texts: William Shakespeare

Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
Zimzum (1998)
In memoriam Sergio Quinzio

Instrumentation: 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
Notre Vie (1998)

Instrumentation: 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"

Instrumentation: 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

Instrumentation: for clarinet (also bass clarinet), string quartet, piano, percussion

Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
Shakespeare's Sonnet 65 (1999)

Instrumentation: for string quartet and electronic tape

Texts: William Shakespeare

Duration: 35' 00"
Manuscript
Black Tell (2000)
Opera Interludes and Finale

Instrumentation: for soli (SATBarB), small choir, symphonic orchestra with large percussion

Texts: Nicolas Rhyner

Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
La Princesse de Samarkand (2001)

Instrumentation: for large percussion (1 player)

Duration: 25' 00"
Manuscript
Petit Poucet (2002)

Instrumentation: for four-handed piano

Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Das süsseste Leben (2003)
3 lieder after Novalis

Instrumentation: 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
qui ainsi me refait ... veoir seulement et oïr (2003)
Guitar quartet

Instrumentation: for octave guitar, terz guitar with sixth-tone scordatura, guitar and bass guitar

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
a chantar ... (2003-2004)
Clarinet quintet

Instrumentation: for clarinet (also bass clarinet), string quartet and electronic tape

Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
qui plus aime .... (2005-2006)
Quintet

Instrumentation: for percussion quartet and electronic tape

Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Mother Tongue (2007)

Instrumentation: 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

Instrumentation: for violin and ensemble (fl(pic).ob(ca).cl.bcl.hn/2perc/pf/va.vc.db)

Duration: 35' 00"-40' 00"
Manuscript
Mothertongue (2010-2019)

Instrumentation: Mezzosoprano, Ensemble (Clarinet/ Bass Clarinet, Horn, Percussion (Marimba, Vibraphone, Gongs, Cymbals), Piano, Lute/Theorbo, 2 Violins, Viola/Viola d'amore, Violoncello) & Tape

Texts: Paul Celan, Samuel Beckett, Markku Rauhavirta, Novalis

Cycle: I Wolfsbohne II Rain III Mother Tongue Fire/mimicri IV Tongues V Reigen

Duration: 50' 00"
Manuscript
Lieder für Bariton (2012)

Instrumentation: für Bariton und Klavier

Texts: Friedrich Kähr

Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Kontrafaktur zu BWV 21 (2012)

Instrumentation: für Oboe und Orgel

Duration: 3' 00"
Manuscript
L'orée (2013)

Instrumentation: für Harfe solo

Duration: 1' 30"
Manuscript
spleen/mimicri (2014-2015)

Instrumentation: Piano & Tape

Duration: 13' 00"
Manuscript
sweet amygdala (2014)

Instrumentation: für Violine, Klavier und Tonband

Duration: 47' 00"
Manuscript
Ave Maria I-V (2014-2016)

Instrumentation: S A T B a cappella

Texts: Ave maria (Westkirchl.)

Duration: 30' 00"
Manuscript
Varek (2014-2015)

Instrumentation: Woman's Voice & Piano

Duration: 20' 00"
Manuscript
Nach der Natur. Vorstudie (2015)

Instrumentation: Tape

Duration: 31' 00"
Manuscript
Nri/mimicri (2015-2016)

Instrumentation: Ondes Martenot, Percussion Quartet & Tape

Duration: 31' 00"
Manuscript
2 Songs on poems by Giorgos Seferis (2018)
I Kégounte t' áspra fíkia..../ II Kathós vadízi o chrónos

Instrumentation: Soprano, Piano, Sound Bowls

Texts: Giorgos Seferis

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
Mothertongue Fire/mimicri (2018)

Instrumentation: Tape

Duration: 12' 00"
Manuscript
sephardic lilt/mimicri (2018/2020)
for Astrid Kaminski

Instrumentation: Guitar, Accordion & Tape (2 Theorbos & Guitar)

The Acoustic Guitar and Accordion in communication with Tape, consisting of 2 Theorbos and Acoustic Guitar in sixth tone scordatura

Duration: 11' 00"
Manuscript
8'46'' George Floyd in memoriam (2020)
for any number of musicians with any instruments

Instrumentation: beliebige Anzahl SpielerInnen, SängerInnen (mindestens 1), beliebige Instrumente

- There must be at least 1 performer and 1 instrument (also voice); all instruments are optional. - The piece consists only in breathing; no sound should be played, no words spoken. - The piece must start with a natural breathing in or breathing out. - The piece must end with a natural breathing in or breathing out, however, the breathing should stop being audible 1 minute before the end of the piece, i.e. at 7’46’’. - If there are more than 1 performers the breathing can be choreographed, but it’s length, rhythm and dynamics should not be synchronized. - The breathing should slow down toward 7’46’’; the slowing down can start any time after 7’. - The breathing can be amplified by microphones; it’s loudness should however not surpass a natural sense of dynamics.

Duration: 8' 46"
Manuscript
Giorgos Seferis/mimicri (2020)
To Radiophono

Instrumentation: Violine & Tape (Mezzosopran, Ondes Martenot)

Texts: Giorgos Seferis

Eine Violine spielt zu einem Zuspielband, bestehend aus Mezzosopran, Ondes Martenot und Radiostimme.

Duration: 12' 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
Charles Uzor: Impromptu for oboe solo
Charles Uzor: Impromptu IV for oboe and piano
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)


Last updated: 2020-10-06 16:48:10