Martin Wettstein lives as a freelance composer with his family in Küsnacht on the lake of Zurich. He attended secondary school in Zurich where he completed his classical language undergraduate studies. He received his musical training from Hans Ulrich Lehmann, Matthias Steinauer and Edison Denissow (music theory), Daniel Fueter, Christoph Lieske (vocational classes of the Winterthur School of Music where he received his teachers diploma with an overall distinction), Homero Francesch (master class at the Zurich School of Music), and Naum Starkman (piano) in Moscow. He considers himself to be a self-taught composer. Martin Wettstein plays with the 'Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich' the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and the Winterthur City Orchestra, with chamber music partners including the 'Carmina Quartett', the tenor Christoph Homberger, the flutist Mathias Ziegler, the flutist Qiling Chen or the violinist Stefan Tönz. In 2004 a tour of China is scheduled together with the 'Amarquartett' which successfully premiered in 2002 at the Wigmore Hall in London with the piece for string quartet 'Verdis Traum', he will give workshops about his compositions at the Peking School of Music. He has worked as a composer and pianist at the Festival Cluj Modern, where he interpreted piano etudes and songs from Daniel Fueter as well as his own piano setting 'SONDE'. More recently Martin Wettstein has written works for the cellist Pi Chin Chien and Sébastien Singer, the ensemble 'Ars Amata', the duo for violin and marimbaphone Rahel Cunz and Jaqueline Ott, the choir 'a cantapella' under Karl Scheuber and the 'Engadiner Kantorei' singing circle under Anna Jelmorini. Works for the orchestra of the Zurich Conservatory under Massimiliano Matesic and music for voice and the colour organ are scheduled. Many of his works will be and already have been recorded by Radio DRS II and SWR. His piece for string quartet 'Verdis Traum' was produced as a CD together with works from Schulhoff and Mozart by the radio station DRS II.
Martin Wettstein is a theatre musician, organises concerts and gives courses in music theory at the conservatory and music school in Zurich and the conservatory and music school in Winterthur.
Work list
SONDE (1993)
Instrumentation: for piano solo
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
La Chambre bleue (1997)
Instrumentation: for cello and piano
Duration: 7' 30" Manuscript
Die Gestundete Zeit (1998)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir, clarinet and piano
Texts: Ingeborg Bachmann
Based on a poem by Ingeborg Bachmann.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Frühlingsnacht (1998)
Instrumentation: for Mezzo-soprano and piano
Texts: Martin Wettstein
Poem: Martin Wettstein.
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Roter Raum (1998)
Instrumentation: for violin and violoncello
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Schwarzer Raum (1999)
Instrumentation: for piano trio
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Blauer Raum (1999)
Instrumentation: for violin and piano
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Astrids Reise (1999)
Instrumentation: for violin solo
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Matrix (2000)
Instrumentation: for cello solo
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Paganini meets Lucy in the Sky (2000)
Instrumentation: for violin solo
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
SPHINX (2001)
Instrumentation: for piano solo
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Verdis Traum (2001)
Instrumentation: for string quartet
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Verdis Traum (2001-2006)
Instrumentation: for string orchestra (5.4.3.3.1)
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Nuit d'amour (2002)
Instrumentation: for violoncello solo
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
La Follia: Farinellis Reise zu den Sternen (2002)
Instrumentation: for violin and marimbaphone
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Franz Kafkas Traum von Jesaja (2002)
Instrumentation: for a-cappella choir
Texts: Franz Kafka, Bibel / Liturgie
Text from Franz Kafka and Jesaja.
Duration: 5' 00" Manuscript
Was Haydn über Wagner denkt (Kadenzen für das Cellokonzert in D-Dur von Joseph Haydn) (2002)
Instrumentation: for cello
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Die Flut: L'Homme armé (2002)
Instrumentation: for string quintet
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Terribilis est... Frühlingsnacht (2003)
Instrumentation: for a-cappella choir
Texts: Martin Wettstein
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Viderunt omnes... Die Fliegen (2003)
Instrumentation: for a-capella choir
Text by the composer.
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Requiem aeternam... Traumzeit (2003)
Instrumentation: for a-capella choir
Text by the composer.
Duration: 7' 00" Manuscript
Schwarzes Feuer (2003)
Instrumentation: for basset horn trio
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Die Elemente (2004)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir, farblichtflügel and piano
Texts: Edward Mörike
Duration: 40' 00" Manuscript
IKARUS (2004)
Instrumentation: for large orchestra (2.2.2.2/4.2.2.0/timp.perc/mar.hp/str)
Duration: 20' 00" Manuscript
Kadenz zu György Ligetis Violinkonzert (2004)
Instrumentation: for violin
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
The Flowing Light of the Divinity (2004)
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: Mechthild von Magdeburg
4 Lieders.
Duration: 6' 00" Manuscript
Fünf mystische Tänze (2004)
Instrumentation: for piano trio
Duration: 28' 00" Manuscript
Flötenkonzert (2005)
Instrumentation: for flute and orchestra (0.2.0.0/2.0.0.0/str)
Written for Dieter Flury.
Especially written for an amateur string orchestra with professional wind players and soloist.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Die Spur des Ochsen (2007)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir and ensemble (fl.sx/pf.org/dulc/perc)
Texts: Mechthild von Magdeburg, Dante Alighieri
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Nachts, zwischen zwei und drei (2009)
Instrumentation: for soprano solo and string orchestra (6.6.6.6.1)
Texts: Tim Krohn
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Mozarts Nachtmahr (2010)
Journey through time 1
Instrumentation: for small orchestra (1.1.0.1/2.0.0.0/4.4.3.3.1)
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Delphi (2011)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir, flute, clarinet, percussion, string trio, electronics
Texts: Martin Wettstein
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Lokomotive Typ DN – 2003 (2011)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Stuxnet – der Wurm (2011)
Instrumentation: for 4 (grand) pianos
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Ping-Pong (2011)
Instrumentation: for piano trio, trumpet and female speaker