Was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds where he attended primary school. After completing his Matura in Frauenfeld, he went on to study mathematics and musicology at the University of Zurich. A self-taught composer, he also took voice instruction with Rudolf A. Hartmann and Ivan Neumann in Zurich and Elsa Seyfert in Constance, in addition to this he attended the master class of Maria Stader. He was later instructed in composition by the famous Zurich composer, musicologist and publisher Rolf Urs Ringger. His education in composition was rounded of by an educational trip to the English composer Ivan Moody in Lisbon. Frédéric Bolli is an author with the 'Schweizer Singbuchverlag'. He conducts the vocal ensemble 'più mosso' in Winterthur and 'dezibella' in Constance and lives on the Lake of Constance. He sang numerous parts for bass and baritone in opera productions by the 'Thurgauer Barockensemble' and the 'Operina-Ensemble'. He also sang in 'Europeras V' by John Cage and 'Arias' by Caroline Wilkins in Zurich (IGNM). He has performed his own chansons programme on radio as well as in various Swiss cities; various compositions for chorus have also been played on the Swiss national radio station 'Radio DRS-2'. Several works by Frédéric Bolli have been published by Pan-Verlag in Zurich. Bolli is a member of the Swiss Association of Musicians.
Work list
2 Duette für Flöte und Cello (1976-1978)
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Herbsttag (1978)
Instrumentation: for baritone and piano
Texts: Rainer Maria Rilke
Text: Rainer Maria Rilke.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Popolaresca (1978)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir
Texts: Anonym
Duration: 1' 00" Manuscript
Passacaglia für Flöte, Cello und Kontrabass (1979)
Instrumentation: for flute, cello, double-bass
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Sonatine für zwei Blockflöten (1980)
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Sonate in H (1981)
Instrumentation: for piano (partly four-handed)
In three movements, the third movement is four-handed.
Libretto by the composer.
Score:
Four singing roles: Laura, soprano; Marie, alto (mezzo); Elisa, soprano; Fabian, bass-baritone.
Four instruments: Flute, violin, viola and bass clarinet in B (clarinet in B).
Sieben Volks- oder Studentenlieder und eine Zugabe (2003)
Instrumentation: for mixed choir, partly with and partly without piano accompaniment
Texts: Volkslied
The text and melodies were taken from the volume 'Allgemeines Deutsches Kommersbuch' originally published by Hermann and Moritz in Schauenburg. The musical directors were Friedrich Silcher and Friedrich Erk. The choral parts are by Frédéric Bolli.