Thomas Kessler

born in 1937 in Zurich * studies German and Romanic linguistics at the Universities of Zurich and Paris and composition with Heinz Friedrich Hartig, Ernst Pepping and Boris Blacher in Berlin where he founded his own electronic studio in 1965 * in the following years director of the Berlin Electronic Beat Studio and musical director of the Centre Universitaire International de Formation et de Recherche Dramatiques in Nancy * from 1973 until 2000 taught composition and theory at the Basel Music Academy and created the well-known electronic studio there * founded the festival “Tage für Neue Musik” in Zurich, together with Gerard Zinsstag, and the live-electronic music festival “ECHT!ZEIT” with Wolfgang Heiniger in Basel * as composer he is especially interested in the interactions between musicians and electronics * wrote numerous instrumental chamber music, orchestral music and live-electronic music compositions * lives in Basel and Toronto

Works by Thomas Kessler include
, said the shotgun to the head. (2003/04) for rapper, chorus and orchestra
Aufbruch (1989/90) for orchestra and five computers
Drumphony (1981) for percussion, live-electronics and orchestra
Smog (1971) for trombone and orchestra