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).
Elenco delle opere
Impromptu (1984/1988)
Strumentazione: für Oboe solo
Durata: 3' 00" Manuscritto
Canto I (1985/1987)
La Notte bella
Strumentazione: für Sopran solo
Testo: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Durata: 6' 00" Manuscritto
Canto I (1985/1987)
La Notte bella
Strumentazione: für Sopran und Ensemble (Fl, 2 Ob, Klar, Hrn, Hf, Klav, Vla, 3 Vlc), Tonband ad lib
Testo: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Durata: 12' 00" Manuscritto
Canto IV (1985/1987)
Finale
Strumentazione: für Alt und Klavier
Testo: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Durata: 4' 00" Manuscritto
Canto I (1985/1987)
La Notte bella
Strumentazione: für Sopran und Harfe
Testo: Giuseppe Ungaretti
Durata: 8' 00" Manuscritto
Mouvement (1988)
Strumentazione: für Klaviertrio
Durata: 10' 00" Manuscritto
Scherzo (1988)
Cartesian Meditations
Strumentazione: für Klaviertrio
Durata: 12' 00" Manuscritto
Impromptu IV (1988)
Strumentazione: für Oboe und Klavier
Durata: 30' 00"-40' 00" Manuscritto
Ricercare (1988)
Strumentazione: für Klaviertrio
Durata: 5' 00" Manuscritto
Ricercare (1989-1991)
Klavierkonzert
Strumentazione: für Klavier solo, 2 Harfen, Streichorchester (Vln, Vla, Vlc, Kb) und Schlagzeug (4 Spieler)
Durata: 14' 00" Manuscritto
Cadenza (1989)
Strumentazione: für Klavier solo
Durata: 3' 00" Manuscritto
White Paperflowers descending on Tienanmen Square (1989-1991)
Quintett
Strumentazione: für 5 Violoncelli
Durata: 12' 00" Manuscritto
Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch" (1989)
Strumentazione: für Orgel
Durata: 8' 00" Manuscritto
Patmos (1992)
Strumentazione: für Viola und Klavier
Durata: 37' 00" Manuscritto
Kolophon (1993)
Fragment
Strumentazione: für Oboe, Oboe d'amore, Englischhorn und Klavier
Durata: 52' 00" Manuscritto
Echnaton's Hymnos to Aton (1995/1997)
Eclipse
Strumentazione: für Tenor solo und Ensemble (Holz, Blech, grosses Schlagzeug (5 Spieler), 2 Harfen, Klavier, Streichorchester)
Testo: Echnaton / F. Kauf
Durata: 27' 00" Manuscritto
Melodies 1-3 (1996-1997)
Strumentazione: für Klavier
Durata: 22' 00" Manuscritto
Le dur désir de durer (1996-1997)
Dit d'un jour
Strumentazione: für Klavier
Durata: 2' 00" Manuscritto
Le temps déborde (1996)
Strumentazione: für Orgel
Durata: 10' 00" Manuscritto
Music (1997)
Madrigal
Strumentazione: für gemischten Chor und drei Schlagzeuge
Testo: William Shakespeare
Durata: 3' 00" Manuscritto
Zimzum (1998)
In memoriam Sergio Quinzio
Strumentazione: für 2 Gitarren (eine Gitarre mit Sechstelton- Skordatur und 10-saitige Gitarre)
Einrichtung: Christian Bissig, Karin Rüdt.
Durata: 16' 00"
Gitarrenforum Winterthur
c/o Bissig Lustgartenstr. 9 CH-9000 St. Gallen
Notre Vie (1998)
Strumentazione: für Stimmen (2 S, 2 A, Bar, B) und Ensemble (Posaune, grosses Schlagzeug (5 Spieler), 2 Harfen, Klavier, Streichorchester)
Testo: Paul Eluard
Durata: 20' 00" Manuscritto
Madrigal (1998)
Sonnet 8 "Music to hear"
Strumentazione: für Stimmen (2 S, 2 A, Bar, B) und Ensemble (grosses Schlagzeug (3 Spieler), 2 Harfen, Klavier, Streichorchester)
Testo: William Shakespeare
Durata: 20' 00" Manuscritto
Go (1999)
Ballet for 5 Dancers and 7 Instruments
Strumentazione: für Klarinette (auch Bassklarinette), Streichquartett, Klavier, Schlagzeug
Durata: 25' 00" Manuscritto
Shakespeare's Sonnet 65 (1999)
Strumentazione: für Streichquartett und Tonband
Testo: William Shakespeare
Durata: 35' 00" Manuscritto
Black Tell (2000)
Opera Interludes and Finale
Strumentazione: für Soli (S/A/T/Bar/B), Chörli, Symphonisches Orchester mit grossem Schlagzeug
Testo: Nicolas Rhyner
Durata: 30' 00" Manuscritto
La Princesse de Samarkand (2001)
Strumentazione: für grosses Schlagzeug (1 Spieler)
Durata: 25' 00" Manuscritto
Petit Poucet (2002)
Strumentazione: für Klavier vierhändig
Durata: 10' 00" Manuscritto
Das süsseste Leben (2003)
3 Lieder nach Novalis
Strumentazione: für 3 Frauenstimmen und Ensemble (Klar/B-Klar, Vln, Vla, Vlc, 2 Hf, 1-2 Perk)
"Sehnsucht nach dem Tode", "Ich weiss nicht was", "Das süsseste Leben".
Durata: 15' 00" Manuscritto
qui ainsi me refait ... veoir seulement et oïr (2003)
Gitarrenquartett
Strumentazione: für Oktavgitarre, Terzgitarre mit Sechstelton-Skordatur, Gitarre und Bassgitarre
Durata: 12' 00" Manuscritto
a chantar ... (2003-2004)
Klarinettenquintett
Strumentazione: für Klarinette (auch Bassklarinette), Streichquartett und Tonband
Durata: 30' 00" Manuscritto
qui plus aime .... (2005-2006)
Quintett
Strumentazione: für Schlagzeug-Quartett und Tonband
Durata: 15' 00" Manuscritto
Mother Tongue (2007)
Strumentazione: für Frauenstimme und Ensemble (Fl, Klar, Pos, Vln, Vla, Vlc, Schlgzg)
Nach Igbo Sprichwörtern.
Durata: 30' 00" Manuscritto
"For Aung San Suu Kyi" (2008-2010)
Konzert
Strumentazione: für Violine und Ensemble (Fl. auch Pikk, Ob auch Englh, Klar, B-Klar, Horn, Vla, Vlc, Kb, Pno, 2 Perk)
- 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.