Detlev Müller-Siemens

Artistic & Pedagogical Education

• Studies at the "Hochschule für Musik und darst. Art", Hamburg
• 1970-1972 Theory and composition with Günter Friedrichs. Piano with Konrad Richter
• 1973-1980 Composition studies with György Ligeti
• Piano with Andreas Meyer-Hermann, Eckart Besch and Volker Banfield. Conducting with Christoph von Dohnanyi
• 1974 Diploma examination in composition/theory 1985 Conducting studies as major subject with Klauspeter Seibel
• 1977-1978 Composition studies with Olivier Messiaen at the "Conservatoire supérieur de Musique", Paris

Teaching Experience 

• 1991 to 2005: Professor for composition and theory at the "Musikakademie Basel" (Switzerland)
• Since 2005: Professor of Composition at the "University of Music and Performing Arts" in Vienna
• 1994 England tour with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group/NASH-Ensemble (Great Britain)
• Workshops and concerts in Warwick, Bath, Southampton, Birmingham, London and elsewhere
• 1994 Guest lecturer and concerts, among others at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique Bordeaux (France), Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique Pau-Béarn-Pyrénées (France), Palermo (Italy), Catania (Italy), Festival di Nuova Consonanza Roma (Italy)
• 1998 Southeast Asia tour with the LINOS-Ensemble Cologne (Germany). Workshops and concerts in Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, among others
• 2003 India-Bangladesh-Sri Lanka-Pakistan-Tour with the LINOS-Ensemble Cologne (Germany) - among others in Bombay, New Delhi, Calcutta, Dhaka, Madras, Colombo, Karachi
• 2005 Conducted the Masterclass Composition at the "ISA - International Summer Academy Vienna - Prague - Budapest".
• 2012 Within the framework of the "Schoenberg-Akademie 2012" at the Arnold-Schoenberg-Center/Vienna, head of the "Masterclass for Composition" for 19 composers from China, USA and Russia
• 2016/17 Jury member and coaching of the participants in the "Trabant" composition competition with the "Phoenix Ensemble", Basel
• 2019 Jury member and coaching of the participants in the "Trabant" composition competition with the "Phoenix Ensemble", Basel
• 2022 Direction of the "Masterclass Composition" within the framework of the "ISA - International Summer Academy Vienna - Prague - Budapest" in Semmering

Concerts & Performances

Orchestra & Ensembles (Excerpt)

• Performances of his works by, among others, the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Riverside Symphony (New York), the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the NDR Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Mondrian Ensemble (Basel), Ensemble Modern, Ensemble musikFabrik (Köln), Ensemble Wiener Collage, Ensemble Reconsil (Wien), Modern Art Sextet (Berlin), Ensemble Köln and many others

Conductors (Excerpt)

• His works have been conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, Michael Gielen, Péter Eötvös, Seiji Ozawa, Simon Rattle, Olivier Cuendet, Jun Märkl, Paul Méfano, Bernhard Kontarsky, Oliver Knussen, Eberhard Kloke, Gerd Albrecht, Michael Boder, Marcus Bosch, Jürg Henneberger, George Benjamin, Zsolt Nagy, among others

Festivals (Excerpt)

• Concerts at Donaueschinger Musiktage, Wien Modern, Festival Archipel (Geneva), Lucerne Festival, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, etc.

Composition Commissions (Excerpt)

• 1976 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Städtisches Orchester Mainz - Ministry of Culture of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany): Scherzo and Adagio patetico for orchestra

• 1978 State Capital Düsseldorf (Germany): Passacaglia for orchestra

• 1978 hr - Hessischer Rundfunk (Germany): 1st Symphony for Orchestra

• 1980 London Sinfonietta (Great Britain): Under Neonlight I for ensemble

• 1981 SWR - Südwestrundfunk, Stuttgart (Germany): Piano Concerto 

• 1983 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary - Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester (Germany): Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (premiere)

• 1984 Nash Ensemble London (Great Britain): Pavane for ensemble

• 1986 Philharmonic Orchestra Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany): Arioso for soprano, tenor, horn, 4 choral groups and orchestra

• 1988 Ministry of Culture of the Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany): Concerto for horn and orchestra

• 1989 National Theatre Mannheim (Germany): Die Menschen - Opera

• 1989 Summer Music Days Hitzacker (Germany): 1st String Quartet

• 1990 London Sinfonietta (Great Britain): Tom-a-Bedlam for vocal sextet and chamber orchestra
• 1991 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the state capital Kiel - Verein der Musikfreunde Kiel e.V. (Germany): Carillon for orchestra

• 1992 Saarland State Orchestra (Germany): Double concerto for violin, viola and orchestra
• 1992 Nash Ensemble London (Great Britain): Sextet for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello

• 1993 Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (Great Britain): Phoenix 1 for ensemble

• 1995 Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg (Germany): Maïastra for orchestra

• 1995 Festival ARCHIPEL, Geneva (Switzerland): Phoenix 2 for ensemble

• 1996 financed by the Maja Sacher Foundation - Hochschule für Musik Basel (Switzerland): Cuts for alto saxophone and ensemble

• 1997 Foundation Art and Culture North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany): Refuge for ensemble

• 1998 BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation (Great Britain): Light blue, almost white for ensemble

• 1999 City of Bonn (Germany): Bing - Chamber Opera
• 2002 Fondation Nicati-de-Luze/Mondrian Ensemble (Switzerland): String Trio

• 2003 Basler Madrigalisten (Switzerland): Die Aussicht for vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra 2005 Theater Aachen (Germany): the space of a step

• 2008 Essl Collection (Austria): Kommos for ensemble

• 2016 Ensemble Phoenix Basel (Switzerland): Subsong 1 for ensemble

• 2022 Mozartgesellschaft Schwetzingen (Germany): Subsong 3 for basset clarinet and string quartet

Discography

• 2015 "Traces" Detlev Müller-Siemens / mondrian- ensemble 
• 2001 Phoenix I - III mit Ensemble Phoenix Basel Jürg Henneberger, Dirigent Label: Wergo
• 1986 Variationen über einen Ländler von Schubert für 10 Instrumentalisten Under Neonlight I für Kammerorchester, Konzert für Klavier und Orchester, Label: Wergo
• 1985 Under Neonlight II, (mit Rudepoêma von Villa-Lobos) Volker Banfield, Klavier, Label: Wergo
• 1994 Die Menschen, Oper in zwei Akten, (Gesamtaufnahme, Live - Theater Basel 1993) [DOPPEL-CD], Label: Wergo
• 2000 Sinfonische Musik 2 - Sinfonische Musik 1970-1980 (Darin enthalten: Detlev Müller-Siemens - Passacaglia für Orchester), Label: RCA Red Seal (BMG)
• 2001 Vokale Kammermusik - Solo und Klavier 1970-2000 (Darin enthalten: Detlev Müller-Siemens - Lieder nach Hölderlin (1999): Nr. 2 Aussicht) Label: RCA Red Seal (BMG)
• 2004 Musik in Deutschland 1950-2000, Konzerte 1970-1985, (Darin enthalten: Detlev Müller-Siemens - Konzert für Klavier und Orchester (1981)) Label: RCA Red Seal (BMG)
• 2000 Musik in Deutschland Box 2 - Sinfonische Musik 1945-2000 (Darin enthalten: Detlev Müller-Siemens - Passacaglia für Orchester), Label: RCA Red Seal (BMG)
• 2004 Lied: Strahl 2 - Klavierlieder, (Darin enthalten: Detlev Müller-Siemens - 2 Lieder nach Hölderlin (1999)) Edition Zeitklang

Prizes & Awards

• 1974 "Kranichsteiner Music Prize" for his trio for violin, cello and piano at the "International Summer Courses for New Music" in Darmstadt
• 1975 Promotion Prize of the Hamburg Bach Prize. Scholarship holder of the "Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes". Scholarship holder of the Heinrich Strobel Foundation
• 1980 July to December: Scholarship of the Federal Republic of Germany for a stay at the "Villa Massimo", Rome
• 1983 Awards at the "International Rostrum of Composers", Paris: 1st place in the category "Composers under 30", 3rd place overall
• Scholarship holder of the "Wilfried-Steinbrenner-Foundation"
• 1986 Award of the "Berliner Kunstpreis" of the Akademie der Künste. "Schneider-Schott Music Prize"
• 1987 Awarded the "Hindemith-Förderpreis"
• 1988 "Rolf Liebermann Scholarship" for his opera "Die Menschen." 1990 "Rolf-Liebermann-Förderpreis" for his opera "Die Menschen"

Miscellaneous 

• 1981 Assistant conductor at the "Opéra de Paris" for "Le Grand Macabre" by György Ligeti (Conductor: Elgar Howarth)
• 1983-1985 Civilian service (as conscientious objector) at the "Bethanien Hospital" in Hamburg
• 1986-1988 Kapellmeister at the "Theater Freiburg im Breisgau