Born: May 12, 1943 - Chur, Switzerland

The Swiss harpsichordist and compooser, Martin Derungs, obtained his first musical instruction from his father and the ‘Churer cantor’ Lucius Juon. He was already attempting composition as a child. He studied at Zürich Conservatory and the ‘Musikakademie Zürich’ (Zurich Academy of Music), with organ under Luigi Favini, piano under Hans Andreae and composition under Paul Müller. In 1967 he acquired his diploma as soloist for organ under Eduard Müller at the ‘Musikadademie Basel’ (Basel Academy of Music). Further studies in composition followed, from the years 1967 until 1971 under Günter Bialas in Munich.

Martin Derungs worked as the editor of a short wave radio sender ‘Deutsche Welle’ in Cologne from 1971 until 1974. From 1980 until 1984 he had a lectureship for harpsichord, thorough bass and chamber music at the University of Music in Karlsruhe, since which he has lived as a freelance composer and harpsichordist in Zürich, Tuscanny and from 1991 until 1993 in Berlin.

Martin Derungs organised the programme for the ‘Musikkollegiums Zürcher Oberland’ from 1978 until 1987 and was president of the music cooperative of Switzerland from 1979 until 1984. From 1980 until 1989 he was a member of the committee of the ‘Künstlerhauses’ in Boswil. In 1987 he was adjudicated a sabbatical year by the city of Zürich. 1993 until 1996 he presided over the Swiss Society of Musicians. He has been a member of the music commission of the city of Zürich since 1994.

Influenced by the avant-garde currents of the late 1960's Martin Derungs mainly composed instrumental works with the block flute being, then as now, the most prevalently used instrument. After the mid 1970's he produced more and more compositions with a literary connection and since 1986 in the form of stage works. ‘Musik über Musik’ is the name of Derungs further group of works, produced since the mid nineties, which relate in many ways to historical music.

Source: Musicinfo - The Database of Swiss Music Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (February 2007)

Martin Derungs: Short Biography | Recordings of Non-Vocal Works

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