Felix Werder
Felix Werder (* 24. February 1922 in Berlin , † 3. May 2012 in Melbourne ) was a from Germany originating Australian composer and music critic.
Life
Werder received his first music lessons from his father, who came from Poland , the Jewish cantor Boas Bischofswerder, who belonged to the circle around Arnold Schönberg . In 1933 the family emigrated to London, where Werder began studying architecture and art history. In 1940 he was arrested as an "enemy alien" and deported to Australia with his father.
In 1946 he received Australian citizenship. He worked as a teacher in adult education and was a music critic for the Melbourne daily newspaper The Age from 1960 to 1977 . With the chamber music ensemble "Australia Felix", which he founded, he performed European New Music in Australia and works by the Australian avant-garde in Europe. As an autodidact composer, Werder created an extensive oeuvre of orchestral works, chamber music, choral works, operas, ballets and electronic music.
Operas
- Kisses for a Quid (1961)
- The General (1966)
- Agamemnon (1967)
- The Affair (1969)
- Private (1969)
- The Vicious Square (1971)
- The Conversion (1973)
Awards
- 1976 Order of Australia
- 1986 Don Banks Music Award
- 1988 Johann Wenzel Stamitz Prize from the Esslingen Artists' Guild
- 1991 Sir Zelman Cowen Medal
- 2002 Honorary Doctorate from Melbourne University
- 2004 Classical Music Award - Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Australian Music
Web links
- Felix Werder Australian Music Center
- Felix Werder at Allmusic (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Albrecht Dümling: Boas Bischofswerder in the dictionary of persecuted musicians of the Nazi era (LexM)
- ↑ Albrecht Dümling: Felix Werder in the dictionary of persecuted musicians of the Nazi era (LexM)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Werder, Felix |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bischofswerder, Felix (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German-Australian composer and music critic |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 24, 1922 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berlin |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 3, 2012 |
| Place of death | Melbourne |