Dorothea Schürch

Dorothea Schürch during the show "Let's sing Arbeiterin *" by Les Reines Prochaines and Freundinnen *, 2019

Dorothea Schürch (* 1960 in Zurich ) is a Swiss singer, composer and sound installer .

Live and act

Schürch studied at the Zurich University of Art and Design from 1981 to 1985 and 1989/90; During this time she performed in the Zurich workshop for improvised music . With Brigitte Schär and Magda Vogel , she formed the avant-garde a cappella trio Eisgesänge , which existed from 1989 to 1993. She performed with improvisation musicians such as Hans Koch , Martin Schütz , John Butcher , Charlotte Hug , Thomas Lehn , Paul Lytton , Phil Minton , Zeena Parkins , John Russell , Roger Turner , Phil Wachsmann and Stephan Wittwer , but also with jazz musicians such as Han Bennink and Andrew Cyrille , Fred Hopkins , Diedre Murray , Jeanne Lee , Urs Leimgruber , Lauren Newton , William Parker and Fredy Studer . In 1997 she founded the Trio Chanteurs à Voix with Ben Jeger and Christoph Gantert . With Daniel Mouthon she directed the Swiss Improvisers Orchestra . Both the means used - she also plays a singing saw and collects a wide variety of types - as well as her art forms are diverse: On the occasion of the Tonkünstlerfest 2007 in Zurich, she and Cornelia Cottiati and Jörg Köppl used the city's public sewer network as an orchestra ( Organ II ). In 2008 she took part in the performances of Elfriede Jelinek's “Bambiland” in the public space of Vienna.

Schürch also interpreted works by John Cage , Alvin Lucier and Dieter Schnebel and was involved in projects in contemporary music theater (also as a director). She continued to work with Markus Eichenberger , Butch Morris , Georg Graewes “Grubenklangorchester”, the “King Übü Orchester” by Wolfgang Fuchs , the Ensemble Opera Nova Zurich , with Jacques Demierre in “Des Indes à la Planète Mars” and “le tout sur le” tout ”and with“ Dog Breath Variations ”in the USA. She has performed at international festivals such as the Willisau Jazz Festival , Experimental Festival Copenhagen, Canaille Frankfurt , Jazz à Mulhouse Festival , London Jazz Festival , Total Music Meeting , Wien Modern (with Salvatore Sciarrino's “Lohengrin”) and Ars Electronica .

Schürch received a scholarship from the Federation of Migros Cooperatives and in 1998 a work scholarship at Schloss Solitude Stuttgart and in 2001 the City of Zurich's work year. In 2019 she won the Swiss Performance Prize / Audience Prize: Manifesto Reflex Collective, with Monika Dillier , Iris Ganz, Sibylle Hauert, Lysann König, Fränzi Madörin , Muda Mathis , Dorothea Mildenberger, Sarah Elena Müller, Barbara Naegelin , Chris Regn , Andrea Saemann , Sus Zwick.

Interni Pensieri (with Michel Seigner, Ernst Thoma ; Intakt)
Oscura Luminosa: in full armor (with Robert Dick , Petja Kaufman, Conrad Steinmann, Alfred Zimmerlin ; Unit Records)
Chanteurs à Voix: Navy Cut

personal data
SURNAME	Schürch, Dorothea
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swiss musician and sound artist
DATE OF BIRTH	1960
PLACE OF BIRTH	Zurich