LAURENT METTRAUX

 

Route Principale 160, CH-1791 Courtaman (Switzerland),

tel. + fax: (+41) 26/684.18.65, E-mail : laurent.mettraux(at)bluewin.ch

 

 

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MOST IMPORTANT FIRST PERFORMANCES

 

 

- Lausanne, March 1st, 1993, first performance of the Symphony for Chamber Orchestra or First Symphony (1992), by the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos. This work won the first prize and public award of the composition competition of the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra (1993).

 

- Berne, March 27th, 1994, first performance of the organ piece Gethsemané (1990), by Erwin Messmer.

 

- Sion, July 12th, 1994, first performance of the Concerto for 15 soloist strings (1994), personal order by Tibor Varga, at the opening concert of the 1994 Tibor Varga Festival by the Festival Orchestra, conducted by Tibor Varga.

 

- Gruyère-Epagny, from July 14th to 31st, 1995, first performance, during 11 performances, of the scenic work Lysistrata (1994-5), after Aristophanes. The theatre company La Catillon (prepared by André Pauchard), the choirs and instrumentalists were directed by the composer.

 

- Sion, August 12th and 13th, 1995, first performance of Fantasia for violin (1995). Commission by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, it has been the compulsory piece of the International Violin Competition Tibor Varga 1995.

  

- Fribourg, June 1st and 6th, 1996, the Oratorio for soloists, choirs and orchestra Vers le Soleil Couchant (Towards the Setting Sun - 1995-6), commission of the Fribourg University choir, has been first performed by this choir, the Choir of the Holy Cross College of Fribourg and an ad hoc orchestra, directed by Pascal Mayer. Soloists : Christa Goetze, Liliane Zürcher, Hans Peter Graf and Michel Brodard. 

 

- Budapest, October 1st, 1998, first performance, in the great hall of the Vigado, of the Concerto n.2 for violin and string orchestra (1998) by Isabelle Lambelet, the Camerata Symphonica of Budapest and Tibor Varga, on the occasion of the celebrations in Budapest of the 150th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and of the Swiss Confederation. 

 

 - Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata (Argentina), October 1998, first performance of the Paremboles (1998), by the Triades Ensemble, which has commissioned the work.

 

- Greifswald (Germany), June 11th, 1999, first performance during the Greifswalder Bachwoche, of Crucifixion (1998) for mixed choir a cappella, by the Chamber Choir of the Fribourg University, which has commissioned the work.

 

- Donaueschingen, October 17th, 1999, first performance, during the Donaueschinger Musiktage, of Ombre (Shadow – 1995/8) for full orchestra, after Edgar Poe, Prize of the Donaueschinger Musiktage 1998, by the SWR Orchestra of Baden-Baden-Freiburg, conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.

 

- Volgograd, on October 31st, 1999, first performance in its full orchestra version, of the Symphony for Chamber Orchestra, new 1st Symphony, by the Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Emmanuel Siffert.

 

- Bratislava, November 10th, 1999, first performance of the Trio for violin, violoncello and piano N.2 (1995-6) by the Animae Trio (Festival Melos-Ethos).

 

- Boswil, November 28th, 1999, first performance of the Duo for flute and clarinet (1999) by members of the Wiener Klangforum.

 

- February 11th, 2000, simultaneous first performance of the Trio for alto saxophone, violoncello and piano (1998-9) during concerts organized by the Association for the development of the classical saxophone, which has ordered the work, in around ten cities from Switzerland and abroad (like Geneva, Zurich, …).

 

- Montreal, July 8th, 2000, first performance by Philippe Savoy and Elie Fumeaux of the Duo for 2 saxophones (1999-2000) on the occasion of the 12th World Saxophone Congress.

 

- Fribourg, July 14th, 2000, within the Sacred Music Festival of Fribourg, first performance of La plus belle des Lumières (2000 - after the Rig Veda) by the New London Chamber Choir, conducted by James Wood.

 

- August 2000, first performance of the String trio (1997-8), ordered by Pro Helvetia, Swiss foundation for culture, by the Zürcher Streichtrio, during a concert tour in India and Sri Lanka.

 

- Sion, August 17th, 2000, within the Tibor Varga Festival, first performance of the 3rd Concerto for violin and orchestra (1999), by Ryoko Yano, prize-winner of the interpretation of this concerto, compulsory piece of the international violin competition Tibor Varga, and the Symphony State Orchestra of Lithuania, conducted by Gilbert Varga.

 

- Sankt-Moritz, September 2nd, 2000, within the Arts festival, and on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Musicians Association, first performance of Le Cocyte (1999) for full orchestra, after Dante, by the Symphony Orchestra of Berne, conducted by Luca Pfaff.

 

- Basel and region, April 2001, first performance of Lux Mundi (2000) for organ, commissioned by the European Music Month 2001, during about fifteen services, masses and concerts of the Holy Week.

 

- Fribourg, September 11th, 2001, first performance of the Wind Quintet (2000) by the Eole Quintet, which has commissioned the work.

 

- Delémont, November 4th, 2001, first performance by the Mittelland Ensemble, of the Septet for flute, clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, cello and piano (2001), commissioned by the Espace Mittelland.

 

- Zurich, February 27th, 2002, first performance of the Trio for flute, viola and harp (1997-9), by the Musaïque Trio.

 

- Morgins, July 29th, 2002, first performance during the Flâneries Musicales of Champéry, of Soliloque (1998), by the violinist Jan Dobrzelewski. 

 

- Morat, October 5th, 2002, first performance of Le Nom Caché (The Hidden Name - 2001-2), Oratorio commissioned for the Swiss National Exposition of year 2002. The performers were Christine Buffle, Liliane Zürcher, Hans-Jürg Rickenbacher, Michel Brodard, Marc Jaermann, the Chamber Choir of the Fribourg University, and an instrumental ensemble, conducted by Pascal Mayer.

 

- Bulle, March 22nd, 2003, first performance by the Talich Quartet of the String Quartet (1998-9).

 

- Helsinki, July 10th, 2003, and during a concert tour in Lithuania, first performance of the String Quintet (2001-2), by the Zurich String Quintet, which has commissioned the work.

  

- Sion, August 2003, first performance of Complainte for solo violin (2003), written at the request of Shlomo Mintz to be the compulsory piece of the International Violin Competition of Sion.

 

- Bulle, September 25th, 2003, first performance of the Quintet for flute and strings (2002-3), by Alexandre Magnin and the Janacek Quartet.

 

- Lausanne, December 2nd and 3rd, 2003, first performance of the Concerto for organ and orchestra (2002-3) for the inauguration of the new great organ of the Lausanne Cathedral. Performers were Jean-Christophe Geiser at the organ and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jean Balissat. The German first performance shall take place in June 2010 at the Gewandhaus of Leipzig, with Michael Schönheit at  the organ, and the Gewandhaus orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly.

 

- Odessa, during the Festival 2 days & 2 nights of modern music, and during a concert tour in Ukraine  in April 2004, first performance of the Trio for clarinet, cello and piano (2003), by the Avalon Trio, which commissioned the work.

 

- San José, June 6th, 2004, and during a concert tour in the Costa Rica, first performance of Reflets for violin and percussion (2002-4) by the Continents Percussion Ensemble (Jan Dobrzelewski and Stuart Marrs).

 

- Neuchâtel, July 15th, 2004, first performance of the Swiss Dances (2003-4) by the pianists of the Duo Dominique Derron & Pius Urech, who commissioned the work.

 

- Lucerne, November 2004, first performance by Laurent Estoppey of the two Appels (saxophone version) during the ORB_IT project of the World New Music Days 2004.

 

- Vevey, November 25th, 2004, first performance by Pascal Desarzens of the Microlude (2004) for solo cello, commissioned on the occasion of the inaugural concert of the CH.AU Company. 

 

- Barberêche, January 30th, 2005, first performance, by the composer, of Veilleur, en est la nuit ? (2004-5) for organ, on the occasion of the inauguration of the restored organ of the Church of Barberêche.

 

- La Tour-de-Trême, March 4th, 2005, first performance of the scenic work Les Serrures à Secret (2003-5) on a libretto by Michel Gremaud, with the performers Michel Brodard, bass, the Eole Quintet, a choir and an instrumental ensemble, conducted by Bernard Maillard, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Secondary School of the Gruyère.

 

 - Auberive, July 5th, 2006, first performance of Émergences (2006) for violin and accordion, by Marianne Piketty and Pascal Contet, commission of the Musicales de l’Abbaye d’Auberive.

 

- Liestal, August 27th, 2006, first performance of Stimmungen (2005-6) for cello quartet, by the cellists Anita Leuzinger, Sebastian Diezig, Adam Mital and David Pia, commission of the International Music Days Viva Cello of Liestal.

 

- New York, November 4th, 2006, first performance during the 2nd Festival of Universal Sacred Music, of Plus près de toi que tu ne l’es toi-même (2006) for vocal ensemble (8 soloist voices and choir), by the Sangita Choir, conducted by Susanne Peck. The commission of this work has been awarded through competition by the Fondation for Universal Sacred Music.

 

- Bern-Bümpliz, November 12th, 2006, first performance on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Organ Serenades of Bümpliz, of Serenata in Chiaroscuro (2005-6) for organ, by Erwin Messmer.

 

- Vevey, December 3rd, 2006, first performance by the Compagnie CH.AU of the Tombeau de Ravel (2006) for ensemble, for a project inspired by the « Tombeau de Couperin » by Ravel.

 

- Basel, March 22nd, 2007, first performance during the project Cello-Wasser-Klang-Bilder of the solo cello work Les Espaces Insoupçonnés (2006) by Albert Roman, with aquatic images created by sounds, by Alexander Lauterwasser.

 

- Neuchâtel, April 23rd, 2007, first performance of the Suite for three flutes (2005-6) by the Ensemble Les Chemins de Traverse, which has commissioned the work.

 

­- Bruxelles, February 15th, 2008, first performance of Le Sommeil de la Raison produit des monstres (2005) after Goya, for solo arpeggione, by Nicolas Deletaille.

 

- Quito, April 3rd, 2008, first performance of Offrande (1999, rev. 2008) by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador, conducted by Emmanuel Siffert.

 

- Basel, May 31st, 2008, first performance of La Mort sur un Cheval Pâle (Death on a Pale Horse - 2007) for full orchestra, by the Basel Sinfonietta, conducted by Winfried Toll.

 

- Davos, July 30th, 2008, first performance of the Quintet for clarinet and strings (2008) by Shirley Brill and the Terpsycordes Quartet.

 

- Lausanne, March 23rd, 2009, first performance of the cycle of piano pieces Stèles (2007-8) by Dana Ciocarlie.

 

- Fribourg, May 1st, 2009, first performance of the Sonata for guitar (2008) by Olivia Steiner during the International Guitar Festival of Fribourg.

 

- Zurich, September 9th, 2009, first performance of  the Traces gravées dans le Sable (Tracks drawn in the Sand), cycle of piano pieces (2009), by See Siang Wong, during the concerts of the Musikpodium Zurich.

 

- Leipzig, June 16th, 2010, first performance during the Great Concerts of the Gewandhaus and the Leipzig Bach Festival of the Choral Variations on the Christmas Carol Vom Himmel hoch, da kommich her for choir and orchestra (2008-9), with the Choir and Orchestra of the Gewandhaus Leipzig, conducted by Riccardo Chailly.

 

- Lenzburg, August 20th, 2010, first performance of the Offrande Funèbre en hommage à Bach (2010), by the Schweizer Kammerensemble, during the Festival of Lenzburg.

 

- Lausanne, January 20th, 2014, first performance of the Chamber symphony for 13 musicians (2012-3) and the Concerto for improvising trombonist and ensemble (2013), by Denis Beuret, trombone, and the Contemporary Ensemble of the HEMU of Lausanne, conducted by William Blank.

 

- Payerne, April 6th, 2014, first performance of the Recitatives on the gospel texts to complete the St Mark Passion, BWV 247, by Bach for soloists, choir and baroque instrumental ensemble (2013-4), by Gabriela Bürgler, Annina Haug, Gregory Finch, Hubert Michael Saladin, the Corund Vocal Ensemble and the Capella Paterniacensis, conducted by Stephen Smith.

 

- Lutry, May 1st, 2014, first performance of Entre Rêves et Cauchemars (Between Dreams and Nightmares), for cello and double bass (2012-3), by Pascal Desarzens and Noëlle Reymond.

 

- Fribourg, August 2nd, 2014, first performance of the Rhapsodic Variations on themes by Rameau, for accordion (2014), by Sylvain Tissot.