Theo Hirsbrunner


Theodor Walter Hirsbrunner was a Swiss musicologist and violinist.

Life

Born in Thun, Hirsbrunner attended an old-language grammar school. He then studied violin with Walter Kägi in Bern and René Benedetti in Paris. From 1956 he studied musical composition and music theory. with Sándor Veress and Wladimir Vogel. In the 60s he attended a conducting course with Pierre Boulez in Basel.
From 1956 to 1987 he taught music theory, work analysis and more recent historical musicology at the Hochschule der Künste Bern. From 1968 to 1973 he conducted research at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. From 1979 to 1983 he taught at Boulez' request at the IRCAM. He gave lectures in Europe, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the USA as well as on representatives of Neue Musik at European radio stations. In addition to numerous articles for specialist journals, encyclopaedias and newspapers, he has written five monographs on musical personalities and two volumes on the history of music.
He has received several awards, including the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
Hirsbrunner died in Bern at the age of 79.

Students