Olivier Cuendet, concert and opera conductor, improviser and painter,
investigates and develops the connections between interpretation and
creativity.
Following organ and conducting studies in Switzerland, Olivier Cuendet continued
to improve his art in Italy and the USA with such masters as Igor Markevitch,
Franco Ferrara, Seiji Ozawa, Rafael Kubelik and Leonard Bernstein.
He made his début at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice in 1980 conducting Giselle with Rudolf
Nureyev and has continued over the years to conduct ballets and operas in
France, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, Brazil and Switzerland, in a repertoire
ranging from Monteverdi to contemporary music.
Since winning a first prize at the N. Malko conducting contest in 1983 in
Copenhagen, he is regularly invited to conduct throughout Europe. From 1992 up
to 1995 he was the Artistic Director and Main Conductor of the "
Västeras Sinfonietta " Orchestra in Sweden, and then of the Caen Orchestra in France from 1995 up to
1998. He has worked with many soloists, including Maria-Joao Pir
ès, James Bowmann, Thomas Zehetmaier and Uri Caine.
His repertoire is vast, spanning from the baroque to the contemporary period,
including the classical and romantic periods, as well as works from the 20th
century. He has premiered a number of pieces by composers such as Gyorgy Kurt
ág, Franco Donatoni, Olga Neuwirth, Pascal Dusapin or Heinz Holliger. He has also
composed several ensemble pieces.
Following brilliant débuts in South America, South Africa and Russia, he is regularly invited to
conduct concerts and operas in those parts of the world.
With the babel ensemble, which he created in 2006, Olivier Cuendet explores a
kaleidoscope of repertoires through transcriptions, collages and
improvisations.
As an artist, painting represents a complement and a natural extension to his
desire to explore the connections between interpretation and creativity.
Main orchestras conducted by Olivier Cuendet :
Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio-France, Philharmonic Orchestra of Nice (France),
Symphonic Orchestra of the Austrian Radio, Orchestra of the Teatro La Fenice in
Venice, Euskadi Orchestra (San Sebastian, Spain), Stockholm Philharmonic
Orchestra (Sweden), Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (Norway), Orchestra of the
Swedish Radio, Mexico-City Philharmonic Orchestra (Mexico), Orquestra
Metropolitana de Lisboa (Portugal), Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Orchestra
of the French speaking part of Switzerland), Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
(Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Switzerland), Orchestre de Chambre de Gen
ève (Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Switzerland), Zürcher Kammerorchester (Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Switzerland), Basel
Sinfonieorchester (Basel Symphonic Orchestra, Switzerland), Kammerorchester
Basel (Basel Chamber Orchestra), Basel Sinfonietta, Tonhalle Orchester Z
ürich, Orchestre symphonique de Berne (Bern Symphonic Orchestra, Switzerland),
Orchestre de la Suisse Italienne (Orchestra of the Italian speaking part of
Switzerland)
…
Main ensembles :
Ensemble InterContemporain (Paris), Klangforum Wien (Vienna) with tours in
Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, Ensemble Contrechamps (Geneva) with
tours in Switzerland and Lettonia, Ensemble 2E 2M (Paris), Ensemble L'Itin
éraire (Paris) with tours in Spain and in Belgium, Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles
(Belgium), Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (Moscow), among others.
Main Festivals :
Festival of Tanglewood (USA), Juni Festwochen Zürich (Switzerland), Quincena musical de San Sebastian (Spain), Musikfestwochen
Luzern (Switzerland), Festival Extasis (Geneva, Switzerland), Festival Archipel
in Geneva (Switzerland), Basel Musikforum (Switzerland), Primo di Trieste
(Italy), Steirischer Herbst in Graz (Austria), Festival Wien modern (Austria),
ArsMusica in Brussels (Belgium), Festival Why not in Dijon (France), Festival
Manca in Nice (France), Moscow Autumn Festival (Russia), World Music Days in
1998 in Stockholm (Sweden) and in 2004 in Lugano (Switzerland), as well as the
Chiasso Jazz Festival in 2007.
Discography:
Ernst Levy : 15th Symphony, Basel Sinfonieorchester ; Record Bärenreiter (1983)
Jiri Benda : Medea, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne ; Accord (1993)
Olga Neuwirth : Lonicera Caprifolium, Ensemble Klangforum Wien, ORF (1993)
Eric Gaudibert : Oboe-Concerto, Orchestre des Rencontres musicales, Lausanne (1996)
