Michel Roth was born 1976 in Altdorf and lives in Lucerne. Since graduating with a degree in composition and music theory from Basel's School of Music after studying under the tuition of Roland Moser and Detlev Müller Siemens, Roth is now professor at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts' Music Academy, where he heads the department of composition and contemporary music. This function brings him into close contact with Pierre Boulez, Helmut Lachenmann, Peter Eötvös et.al.
Many renowned interpreters have performed his works, including the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, the Stuttgarter Vokalsolisten and the Basler Madrigalisten, as well as the ensembles Phoenix Basel, Ascolta Stuttgart and Mosaik Berlin. He has worked in close collaboration with the Mondrian Ensemble Basel and the Rumanian percussionist Mircea Ardeleanu for the past several years. Roth has won numerous awards for his work, including the Musica viva München's 2007 BMW Award for Composition for his piece 'Der Spaziergang'. His works have also been performed at the Lucerne Festival, Warsaw Autumn, the Wittener Tagen für neue Kammermusik, the Berlin-based festivals 'Klangwerkstatt' and 'Unerhört', Musica da Hoy Madrid, Tage für Neue Musik Zürich, and at concerts in Geneva, London, Cork, Krakow, Weimar, Graz, Milan, Venice, Bucharest, Montreal, Sao Paulo and Peking to name but a few. His works have also been recorded and transmitted by many radio stations. His piece PESSOA was accepted for the "Grammont sélection 2008".
A broad spectrum of his work is available from the Tre Media Verlag (publishers) in Karlsruhe.
In addition to his practical activities, Michel Roth also carries out research and publishes papers dealing with topics of an interdisciplinary and music theoretical nature.
Work list
Ecce - Kairos (1997)
Instrumentation: for oboe, clarinet, bassoon
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Knöcherne Maske die einst Gesang war (1998)
Instrumentation: for soli, choir and saxophone quartet
After fragments by Georg Trakls.
Duration: 25' 00" Manuscript
CRWTH (1998)
15 movements after James Joyce
Instrumentation: for cello solo with scordatura
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
Kristall (1998)
Diaphony
Instrumentation: for 15 strings
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Drei Klavierstücke, op. 11 von Arnold Schönberg (Three Piano Pieces, op. 11 by Arnold Schönberg) (1999)
Instrumentation: set for chamber orchestra by Michel Roth
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Lichtgesänge nach Mörike (1999)
Instrumentation: for tenor, guitar, harp and harpsichord
Texts: Eduard Mörike
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Tönung und Schatten (2000)
Instrumentation: for accordion solo
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Und es schweifen leise Schauer wetterleuchtend... (2000)
Instrumentation: for large ensemble
Duration: 14' 00" Manuscript
Autumn Rhythm - Homage to Jackson Pollock (2000)
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Näherungen (2000)
Instrumentation: for tenor saxophone and large organ
After texts by Fernando Pessoa and his heteronyms Alberto Caeiro, Baron von Teive, Ricardo Reis, Bernardo Soares, Alvaro de Campos and Alexander Search.
After a text by Nicolas Bouvier and Chinese characters.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
im bau (2001-2012)
Fifteen sound room after a fragment by Franz Kafka
Instrumentation: for soprano, three instrumentalists (ob(lupophon), vc (singing saw), pf (melodica)) and live electronics
1st Scene: Prologue; 2nd Scene: Im Bau; 3rd Scene: Schlaf; 4th Scene: Burg-Platz; 5th Scene: Labyrinth; 6th Scene: Unter der Moosdecke; 7th Scene: Im Freien; 8th Scene: Der Vorposten; 9th Scene: Schwierige Rückkehr; 10th Scene: Schlaf; 11th Scene: Ein Zischen oder Pfeifen; 12th Scene: Unter der Moosdecke; 13th Scene: Verständigung; 14th Scene: Der Bau im Bau; 15th Scene: Epilogue
A study about rythmical and tonal transformations for baritone saxophone (numerous multiphonics) and organ (min. of three manuals equipped with aliquot registers).