Wolfgang Mitterer

Vertical Silence

Wolfgang Mitterer studied with Otto Bruckner in Graz in 1977, and then from 1978 to 1983 at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna he studied organ with Herbert Tachezi and composition with Heinrich Gattermeyer before working for a year at the studio for electroacoustic music (EMS) in Stockholm in 1983. This was followed by scholarships to Rome in 1988 and Berlin from 1995 to 1996. In 1991 Mitterer founded the Olongapo label.[1]

Mitterer is considered to be one of the most important contemporary Austrian composers and a pioneer in the field of electroacoustic music. He currently does a lot of work together with other artists, frequently with international improvisation and jazz musicians such as Wolfgang Puschnig, Wolfgang Reisinger, Linda Sharrock, Klaus Dickbauer, Sainkho Namtchylak, Tscho Theissing, Tom Cora, Ernst Reijseger, Hozan Yamamoto, Roscoe Mitchell, Georg Breinschmid, David Liebman, David Moss, Max Nagl, Achim Tang, Patrick Pulsinger, Christof Kurzmann, Christian Fennesz, Marc Ducret, Franz Koglmann, Louis Sclavis, Harry Pepl and others.

In addition Mitterer has appeared as an organist, interpreting works by Bach, Messiaen and Ligeti among others. He has played in off locations such as in a quarry and in a disused fortification complex in Tyrol. He has also been involved in the Donaueschingen Festival (Donaueschinger Musiktage), the steirischer herbst and the Darmstädter Ferienkurse (Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music). Alongside sound installations and numerous electronic collages Wolfgang Mitterer has also written chamber music, scenic works, also operas, a piano concerto and music for orchestra and organ. In addition he has worked on experimental films, radio plays and theatres, has written live accompaniments to silent movies, but also music for the shows of a fashion designer.

Wolfgang Mitterer has lectured at the Vienna University of Music as well as at the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music. He is a supervisory board member of Austro Mechana.

Wolfgang Mitterer works and composes in the field of collective improvisation music, plays the organ and electronic instruments. The space-relatedness, which he frequently emphasises in his titles, gave works such as "Waldmusik", "silbersandmusik", "Turmbau zu Babel", "horizontal noise", "vertical silence" and "Labyrinth 6–11" a particular character. Sometimes up to 4000 people worked on these; in addition many traditional sounds such as brass bands and choral societies were used. These projects ultimately emerged from Wolfgang Mitterer's recordings in the most diverse musical genres and through joint appearances with representatives of the DJ scene and concerts, also through reinterpretations of classical works from Bach, to Schubert.

Wolfgang Mitterer also works on scenic and dramatic productions, the texts of which he partly collects and adapts himself, such as in "Ka und der Pavian", based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead[2] and in "Massacre", based on religious murders from the 16th century after Christopher Marlowe or the lieder cycle "Im Sturm", based on the lieder of Franz Schubert. In 2004 his performance with dancers, Labyrinth for soprano and electronics, was performed at the Semper Depot of Vienna, by the group DANS.KIAS, choreographed by Saskia Hölbling, and Katia Plaschka, soprano.[3][4]

• 1986: German Record Critics' Prize
• 1989: State Scholarship for Composition
• 1990: Prix Ars Electronica Recognition Prize
• 1992: Max Brand Prize
• 1995: Emil Berlanda Prize
• 1995: Prix Futura Berlin
• 2002: Tyrol Prize for Art
• 2004: Vienna Music Prize
• 2008: Prix Italia

"Fisis", for orchestra, five soloists and three conductors

Published by col legno[5]

• Konzert für Klavier und Orchester (Donaueschingen; 2000)
• Mixture 5 (live; Darmstadt 2004) (for organ and electronics)
• Das tapfere Schneiderlein (mini opera for children; 2007)
• Im Sturm (with Georg Nigl; 2007)
• Sopop (with Birgit Minichmayr; 2008)
• Music for checking e-mails (2009)
• Beethoven: 9in1 (2018)

Published by KAIROS Music[6]

• Coloured Noise (with Klangforum Wien and Peter Rundel)

Published by HatHutRecords[7]

• Radio Fractal / Beat Music (with Patrick Pulsinger, John Schröder, Max Nagl, ...)

Published by moers music[8]

• Obsoderso (with Wolfgang Puschnig)
• Pat Brothers (with Wolfgang Reisinger, Wolfgang Puschnig, Linda Sharrock)
• Call Boys Inc. I (with Klaus Dickbauer, Günther Selichar and Gunter Schneider)

Published by LondonHALL[9]

• Amusie

Published by wanadoo

• Masters of Zen Yamamoto/Mitterer (Shakuhachi/Orgel)

Limited edition; published on his own label, Olongapo

• Grand jeu
• Reluctant Games
• Violettes Gras
• Mimemata
• Matador
• Turmbau zu Babel
• Call Boys Inc. II
• Two Days till tomorrow
• Dirty Tones
• I.R.S.
• Carbon Copy
• Piber 2003

Lexicon entries

• B. Günther, ed. (1997), Lexikon zeitgenössischr Musik aus Österreich (in German), Vienna, pp. 738–741{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Ch. Fastl; A. Rausch (2004), R. Flotzinger (ed.), "Mitterer, Familie", Österreichisches Musiklexikon (in German), Vienna, vol. 3, pp. 1453 f
• M. Meller (2008), Ludwig Finscher (ed.), "Mitterer, Wolfgang", Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (in German), Kassel: 562–563

Other texts

• R. Kager (1999), "W. Mitterers Ka und der Pavian : Klänge aus der Totenwelt", ÖMZ 54 (in German), pp. 40 f
• H. de La Motte-Haber (1999), "Con affetto: Wolfgang Mitterer – Komponist, Improvisator, Orgelspieler", Positionen Nr. 38 (in German), pp. 11–13
• M. Meller (1999), "Auf dünnem Pfad zur Explosion im Kopf : Der Musiker und Komponist Wolfgang Mitterer", Das Fenster Nr. 67 (in German), pp. 6356–6374
• M. Meller (2003), "Largo Macabro – Wolfgang Mitterer", Neue Musik in Tirol – Sieben Positionen zeitgenössischen Komponierens (in German), Diploma thesis, Innsbruck, pp. 95–112
• Wolfgang Stryi (2000), "Improvisation ist Nahrung für die Musik : Wolfgang Mitterer im Gespräch", MusikTexte Nr. 86/87 (in German), pp. 55 f
• M. Ziegler (2001), Komponieren heisst, ein Feld bereiten : Wolfgang Mitterers Konzert für Klavier, Orchester und Electronics (in German), Freiburg im Üechtland{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Chr. Baier (2003), "Paris ist eine Oper wert: Zu Wolfgang Mitterers Oper "Massacre"", ÖMZ 58 (in German), pp. 5–9
• R. Schulz, "Der Pluralismus in der Szene ist wichtig : Interview with Wolfgang Mitterer", Programmbuch Festival Klangspuren in Schwaz 2002 (in German), pp. 32–34
• L. Unterweger (2004), W. Mitterer (ed.), Musik inszenieren: visuelle und räumlische Aspekte der Musik unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Raumkompositionen (in German), Diploma thesis, Vienna{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• M. Meller; W. Mitterer (2008), M. Fink; K. Drexel (eds.), "Porträt und Werkanalyse", Positionen zeitgenössischen Komponierens, Mg. Tirols (in German), Innsbruck, vol. 3

• Wolfgang Mitterer website
• Wolfgang Mitterer Music Information Center Austria (mica)
• Osttiroler Bote: Wolfgang Mitterer. Published by Gemeinde Assling, Dezember 12 2002.