Caroline Charrière was born in 1960 in Fribourg, Switzerland. She gained a diploma in flute at the Conservatoire de Lausanne, and at the same time studied orchestration and composition with Jean Balissat. She then undertook advanced flute studies with Aurèle Nicolet.
In 1994, she completed her studies in orchestral conducting at the Conservatoire de Lausanne. Throughout her training, she also dedicated some time to composition.
From 1993 onwards, composition became increasingly important in her work until in autumn 2000 Caroline Charrière decided to make it her priority. She received numerous commissions from Laurent Estoppey, Brigitte Balleys (Du Livre pour toi), the Amar quartet (Ophelia), and Camerata variabile, among others, and also collaborated with the Théâtre des Osses for six years.
In 2008 her piece Flowers for mixed choir won 3rd prize in the "Label suisse" competition produced by Espace 2. Anima mea for 8 voices and organ was premiered at the Lucerne Festival in 2010, and in 2014 her concerto for organ and orchestra was premiered by Anne Chollet and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne conducted by Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla.
During a residency at the Atelier Tinguely in the Cité des Arts, Paris in 2017 she worked on a Universal Passion.
Caroline Charrière died on the first of October 2018 in Fribourg, Switzerland.
Caroline Charrière's music is played regularly in Switzerland and abroad. Her works are published by Bim.
Work list
Pièce en mib mineur (piece E flat minor) (1982)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 2' 45" Manuscript
Müdes Lied (1983)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: S. Meerbaum-Eisinger
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Gravités (1984)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for harpsichord
2 movements: Gravité 1 and Gravité 2.
Duration: 4' 00" Manuscript
Tragique (1984)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 1' 15" Manuscript
Clin d'œil à Satie (1984)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for piano
Music for a Prévert show at the Théâtre des Osses, Fribourg.
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Douce journée (1984)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Duration: 1' 45" Manuscript
Tragik (1984)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: S. Meerbaum-Eisinger
Duration: 1' 40" Manuscript
Der Baum singt (1984)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for alto and piano
Texts: K. Wecker
Duration: 3' 00" Manuscript
Et l'oiseau (1984)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for mezzo-soprano and piano
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 1' 25" Manuscript
La vie se meurt (1984)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Trauerfarben (1985)
Orchestral / instrumental music
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Vous me dites (1985)
Chamber / orchestral music with voice
Instrumentation: for soprano and orchestra
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 3' 30" Manuscript
Vous me dites (1985)
Chamber / orchestral music with voice
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 3' 30" Manuscript
Invocation (1986)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Méditation (1986)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for flute and organ
Duration: 1' 30" Manuscript
Plainte (1986)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for piano
Duration: 1' 15" Manuscript
Rêverie (1986)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for flute and guitar
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Eile (1986)
Chamber / orchestral music with voice
Instrumentation: for soprano and orchestra
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 2' 30" Manuscript
Eile (1986)
Chamber / orchestral music with voice
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 2' 30" Manuscript
Zu gefährlich… (1986)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and piano
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 1' 30" Manuscript
Petite danse (1987)
Instrumental music
Instrumentation: for piano
Music for a Prévert show at the Théâtre des Osses, Fribourg.
Duration: ' 40" Manuscript
Les douze frères (1988)
Fairytale music
Instrumentation: for flute, trombone, glockenspiel and piano
After a brothers Grimm fairytale.
Duration: 45' 00" Manuscript
Pierres (1989)
Choral music
Instrumentation: for mixed choir
Texts: Caroline Charrière
Duration: 3' 30" Manuscript
Wie oft wohl bin ich schon gewandelt (1989)
Instrumentation: for soprano and viola
Texts: Christian Morgenstern
Duration: 2' 00" Manuscript
Ich stand in der Tür (1990)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for voice (alto) and piano
Texts: Christian Morgenstern
Duration: 2' 45" Manuscript
Stoer nicht den Schlaf (1990)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for soprano and violin or piano
Texts: Christian Morgenstern
Duration: 2' 45" Manuscript
J'habitais une tour d'ivoire (1991)
Choral music
Instrumentation: for soprano solo and female choir
Instrumentation: for mezzo-soprano, female choir, violine, viola, harp and percussion
Texts: Isabelle Daccord
15 movements.
Duration: 43' 00" Manuscript
I am ready to go (2007)
Secular choral music
Instrumentation: for mixed a-cappella choir
Texts: Emily Dickinson
Duration: 2' 45" Manuscript
The Spider (2007)
Secular choral music
Instrumentation: for mixed a-cappella choir
Texts: Emily Dickinson
Duration: 4' 20" Manuscript
…to gather Paradise (2007)
Chamber music cycle
Instrumentation: for mezzo, baritone, 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 pianos, clarinet, violin, viola, harp and guitar
Texts: Emily Dickinson
6 pieces for various formations:
1. To search Paradise: quartet for 2 trumpets and 2 horns
2. To be haunted: trio for baritone, horn and piano
3. To search Paradise II: 2 pianos
4. To search Paradise III: clarinet, violin and viola
5. To feel Paradise: harp and guitar
6. To gather Paradise: mezzo, clarinet, violin, viola, harp, piano
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
De Sancta Maria (2007)
Sacred music
Instrumentation: for female voice and organ
Texts: Hildegard von Bingen
Duration: 6' 00"
Doblinger
Wien
La forêt enchantée (2007)
Chamber music
Instrumentation: for two harps
Duration: 10' 00" Manuscript
Elégie et petite danse (2007)
Music for wind orchestra
Instrumentation: for English horn and wind orchestra