Heinz Holliger is one of the most versatile, extraordinary Swiss musical personalities. He is one of the world’s most significant oboe virtuosos as well as being one of the most famous contemporary Swiss composers and a celebrated conductor.
Born in Langenthal in Canton Bern, Holliger studied the oboe in Bern with Emile Castagnaud and in Paris with Pierre Pierlot. Since 1963 he has been performing as a freelance soloist, setting new standards on his instrument. Contemporary composers have written works especially for him, including Hans Werner Henze, Krzysztof Penderecki, György Ligeti, Elliott Carter, Witold Lutoslawski, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio. Holliger is also the dedicatee of Frank Martin’s Three dances, which he premiered in 1970.
Heinz Holliger performs with the leading orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Philharmonia London, the Vienna Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra.