Stephan Wittwer (1 March 1953 – 18 September 2024[1]) was a Swiss experimental musician, improvisor and composer. Earlier, his main instruments were electric and classical guitar, amplifier and recording studio, but at present, his instrument is computer.[2]

Stephan Wittwer
Born(1953-03-01)1 March 1953
Zürich, Switzerland
Died18 September 2024(2024-09-18) (aged 71)
Zürich
GenresExperimental music, free improvisation
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Electric guitar, classic guitar, computer
Websitewittwer.mu/index.html/

Biography

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Wittwer was born on 1 March 1953 in Zürich. As a child, he took piano lessons and learned guitar by self study. He started to play with the musicians of free jazz such as John Tchicai and Irène Schweizer, when he was a teenager. As a teenager, he worked also with Anton Bruhin, Hans Reichel, Paul Lovens and in a duet with Radu Malfatti. Much later, he started studying classical guitar.

He was a member of Rüdiger Carl's quintet, Werner Lüdi's Sunnymoon and Red twist & Tuned Arrow.[3] In duets, trios and projects, he played with Han Bennink, Donald Miller (Borbetomagus), Steve Lacy, Voice Crack, Pierre Favre, Dietmar Diesner, Alfred Harth, Paul Lytton, Butch Morris, Jim O'Rourke, Christian Marclay, John Zorn, Alex Buess (16–17), Peter Brötzmann, William Parker, SLUDGE 3000, Steamboat Switzerland and many others. His work streams (GROB, Köln 2001) achieved an honorary mention in the field of digital music of Ars Electronica. He writes occasionally film music mostly for Peter Fischli & David Weiss.

References

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  1. ^ "Stephan Wittwer (19532024): Ein Rebell mitunter gegen sich selbst | WOZ Die Wochenzeitung (A rebel sometimes against himself)" (in German). www.woz.ch. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  2. ^ "Stephan Wittwer". Discogs.
  3. ^ "Stephan Wittwer discography - RYM/Sonemic".