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Music
Principal works
Orchestra
- "Shadow" for full orchestra (1995-8). Compositions prize from the "Donaueschinger Musiktage 1998", chosen among more than 80 scores by aboard of examiners including Wolfgang Rihm, Gérard Grisey, Christian Wolff, Sylvain Cambreling, Armin Köhler. First performance: SWR Orchestra, conductor: Sylvain Cambreling (Donaueschinger Musiktage, 17th October 1999).
- "Symphony for Chamber Orchestra" or First Symphony (1992). First prize and public award of the composition competition for young Swiss composers - 1993. First performance: Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos (Lausanne, 1rst March 1993).
- "Concerto for 15 soloist strings" (1994). Ordered by the Tibor Varga festival. First performed at the opening concert of the 1994 festival by the festival orchestra, conducted by Tibor Varga (Sion, 12th July 1994).
- Concerto n.2 for violin and string orchestra (1998). Ordered at the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation. First performance in Budapest by Isabelle Lambelet, the Camerata Symphonica of Budapest and Tibor Varga (1rst October 1998).
- “Le Cocyte” for orchestra (1999) ordered by the Pro Helvetia Foundation for the 100th festival of Swiss musicians (Swiss Musicians Association). First performed in St. Moritz by the Symphony Orchestra of Berne, conducted by Luca Pfaff (2nd September 2000).
- Concerto n.3 for violin and orchestra (1999) ordered by the Swiss radio for the International Violin Competition Tibor Varga 2000 (set piece). First performed by Lyoko Yano and the Chamber Orchestra of Lithuania, conducted by Gilbert Varga (17th August 2000).
Vocal works
- "Vers le soleil couchant” (“To the setting sun") (1995-6), oratorio for soloists, choirs and orchestra (on words by around forty authors), ordered by the Fribourg University choir. First performance the 1rst and the 6th June 1996 in Fribourg.
- "Lysistrata" (1993-4), after Aristophanes, for a theatre company, choirs and percussion. First performance under the composers conduction, in July 1995 (11 performances) in Gruyères (Switzerland).
- First lamentation for Maundy Thursday for mixed choir (1997) and Lucis Creator optime for children’s choir (1997). Finalist works at the European Competition of Choral Composition of Amiens (1997).
- "Crucifixion" for mixed choir a cappela (1998). Ordered and first performance by the Chamber Choir of the Fribourg University. First performed at the Greifswald Festival (Germany) and in Stettin (Poland), June 1999.
- “La plus belle des Lumières”, choral work ordered by the Festival of Sacred Music in Fribourg for the New London Chamber Choir, for the Festival of year 2000.
- Oratorio ordered by the Swiss National Exhibition of year 2002.
Instrumental and chamber music
- "Gethsemané" for organ (1990). First performance in Bern-Bümplitz by Erwin Messmer (1994). This work is often being performed (Kreuzkirche Dresden, Dom Braunschweig, ...).
- Fantasia for violin (1995). Ordered by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Set piece of the International Violin Competition Tibor Varga 1995.
- Trio for violin, cello and piano (1995-6). Ordered by the Musical Youths of Fribourg. First performance by the Trio Animae in year 1999 at the Bratislava Festival of Contemporary Music.
- String Trio (1997-8). Ordered by the Fondation Pro Helvetia for the String trio of Zurich. First performance during one tourney in India and Sri Lanka.
- "Paremboles" (1998). Ordered by the Triades ensemble. First performance in Mar del Plata and Buones Aires (October 1998).
- Duet for flute and clarinet (1999) ordered by the Boswill Foundation for the Wiener Klangforum. First performance at 27th November 1999.
- Wind Quintet (2000). First performance by the Quintette Eole (Fribourg, the 11th September 2000).
- String quartet (1998-9) ordered for the Talich Quartet. First performance in 2002 or 2003.
Life
Laurent Mettraux: born in Fribourg (Switzerland). Musical Studies at "Conservatoire et Académie de Musique de Fribourg" (complete studies of analysis, counterpoint, harmony and fugue with René Oberson, piano, violin and singing) and in Geneva (composition with Prof. Eric Gaudibert, conducting with Prof. Liang-Sheng Chen). Follows also courses of ancient music and musicology. Receives a prize of the Kiefer-Hablitzel Foundation (Association of Swiss Musicians). Counsels and courses with, among others, Klaus Huber, Luis de Pablo, Heins Holliger, Arvo Pärt, Paul Méfano.
First Prize and Public Prize of the "1st competition for young composers - 1993" organized by the «Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne», finalist of, among others, the european competition of choral composition (Amiens, France). Laureate of the Boswill Foundation and of the Institut Européen de Chant Choral. His work « Ombre » (« Shadow ») for orchestra, chosen among 80 other scores, won 1998 the prize of «Donaueschinger Musiktage», given for the first time (Jury: Wolfgang Rihm, Sylvain Cambreling, Gérard Grisey, Christian Wolff). He is also honoured in 2000 with a contribution ad personam from the UBS Kulturstiftung for his « remarkable partaking to the musical life in Switzerland and abroad ».
First compositions in 1982. Numerous orders, as much from the interpreters as from concert associations, festivals, broadcasting and more. His works are more and more performed, as well in Switzerland as in others countries. His style is appreciated as well by specialists of contemporary music and musicians as by the public. He is also one of the jungest composers about whom a notice appears in the «International Who’s who in Music and Musician’s Directory», from the 16th edition onward (1998).
His works have been performed in many countries all around the globe by numerous famous interpreters, among which to be mentioned: Talich Quartet, Tibor Varga, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Sylvain Cambreling, Francisco Araiza, Zürcher Streichtrio, the New London Chamber Choir. Among next works to be first performed: an oratorio for the Swiss National Exposition, a concerto for the most famous pipa player Yang Jing, a quintet for flute and strings for Alexandre Magnin and the Janácek Quartet, and a concerto for organ and orchestra, for the inauguration of the new greath organ of the Lausanne Cathedral.