Walter Baer

After attending teachers’ training college in Küsnacht and Zurich he studied at the Zurich Conservatory (diploma for piano). He studied composition with Paul Müller und Rudolf Kelterborn, among others. Pianistic studies with Czeslaw Marek. Musicological studies and sojourns in various European countries and the United States. After working for several years as primary teacher, pianist and composer, he was engaged as principal teacher for school music at a Zurich high school and teachers’ training college. 1974 – 1993 head of the school music department at the Zurich Conservatory and Musikhochschule.
(source: Schweizer Komponisten unserer Zeit, Amadeus Verlag Winterthur/Schweiz, 1993)

Produced more than 80 works in various genres over the years, including some commissioned pieces; works performed nationally and internationally. The piece “Meeting” won the first prize at the ten Swiss cities composition competition and was performed in 1976 at the Lucerne Festival. 1985 and 1987 guest composer with performances at the Bowling Green State University’s New Music Festival, Ohio (USA).
1992 Baer won the prize for composition from the Union of European Choral Federations for “Der gefrorene Christ”. He received invitations to give presentations at schools of music and universities in Germany, Austria and Turkey.
Several world premieres of large choral works at the Ljubliana Philharmonic with the Slovenian Chamber Choir and a series of various works for chamber orchestra in Sofia, Plovdiv and other Bulgarian cities.
November 2005 performance in the largest Swiss cities of the double concert “Cantus Gemellus” for violin and orchestra with the soloists Deborah Marchetti and Mario Hossen together with the Scala Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Jean-Bernard Pommier.
April 2007 performance of the commissioned piece “Ushuaia, Himno por la Paz” at the Ushuaia International Music Festival, Argentina, by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Claude Villaret. Tribute to the composer by the city of Ushuaia.
Lives in Zurich and Paris
(source: http://www.musinfo.ch/index.php?content=maske_personen&pers_id=2&action=open_it)