Heinz Holliger at 85

Masterful oboist, composer and conductor Heinz Holliger has turned 85 years old. The Swiss composer is one of the world’s leading oboists, with works written for him by composers including Luciano Berio, Elliott Carter, Olivier Messiaen, Karlheinz Stockhausen and György Kurtág. His recorded output is equally prodigious and includes a large number of albums with music ranging from Bach to composers of the present day. ECM has also been very pleased to present Holliger’s innovative work as a composer, with recordings including his extraordinary operas, Schneewittchen, based on the play by Robert Wasler, and Lunea, which deals with the life of poet Nikolaus Lenau, as well as his Scardanelli-Zyklus, after Hölderlin. Recent albums include Zwiegespräche, with expressive miniatures by Holliger and his contemporary and friend György Kurtág, as well as readings of French poet Philippe Jaccottet. His multiple awards-winning large-scale opera Lunea was released in 2022 and on Éventail, released in 2023, Holliger traverses a broad selection of French works for oboe and piano in a multi-chromatic programme of early 20th century music.

Many happy returns, Heinz Holliger.