Piccolo Concerto Grosso

Matthias Mueller, born in 1966 in Basle, studied clarinet, composition, and piano at the Basle Music Academy. He has been a Professor at the Zurich Academy of the Arts (ZHdK) since 1996. Matthias Mueller is internationally active as a composer, soloist, chamber musician, improviser, producer, pedagogue, researcher, and entrepreneur. As a composer, his oeuvre consists of chamber music, orchestral works, music theater, and electronic music. As an interpreter, he performs the entire clarinet literature and has performed over 100 world premieres in collaboration with composers from all over the world. His research project SABRE, pursued since 2000, has resulted in a company for music technology specializing in sensor technology in the interface between acoustic music and digital technology. Alongside hardware, SABRE also produces software for live-electronics. Michael Collins's dazzling virtuosity and sensitive musicianship have earned him recognition as one of today's most distinguished artists and a leading exponent of his instrument. In recent seasons Collins has become increasingly highly regarded as a conductor and in September 2010 took the position of Principal Conductor of the City of London Sinfonia. In 2007, Collins received the "Royal Philharmonic Society's Instrumentalist of the Year Award", placing him amongst past recipients of the award such as Itzhak Perlman, Mitsuko Uchida, Murray Perahia, and András Schiff. In great demand as a chamber musician, Collins performs with musical colleagues such as the Belcea and Takács Quartets, Martha Argerich, Stephen Hough, Mikhail Pletnev, Lars Vogt, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis. At Wigmore Hall he performed with András Schiff, Piers Lane, and the Endellion String Quartet. Features the world premiere recording Piccolo Concerto Grosso for two basset clarinets and orchestra (2016/17). Personnel: Matthias Mueller - basset clarinet; Michael Collins, basset clarinet; Zurich Chamber Orchestra with Willy Zimmermann as concertmaster.