(b. 30 July 1957, Hamburg).
German composer, now resident in Switzerland, of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed in Asia, Europe and North America; he is also active as a conductor.
Prof. Müller-Siemens studied composition with Günter Friedrichs at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg from 1970–73, where he then studied composition with György Ligeti from 1973–80, conducting with Christoph von Dohnányi from 1978–80 and piano with Volker Banfield from 1978–80. He also studied composition with Olivier Messiaen at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in 1977–78 and conducting with Klauspeter Seibel in 1985–86.
Among his honours are two scholarships to stay at the Villa Massimo in Rome (1980, 1982), the Paul-Hindemith-Preis from the Hindemith-Stiftung in Blonay (1985), the Rolf-Liebermann-Opernstipendium (1988), and the Rolf-Liebermann-Förderpreis (1990, for Die Menschen).
As a conductor, he served as an assistant during the production of Le Grand Macabre by György Ligeti at the Opéra National de Paris in 1981 and as assistant conductor at the Theater Freiburg in Freiburg im Breisgau from 1986–88.
He taught as Professor für Komposition at the Musik-Akademie der Stadt Basel from 1991–2005. He taught as a guest professor at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna from 2003–05, where he has taught as Universitätsprofessor in composition since 2005.
His publisher is Schott Music.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
Genoveva oder Die weiße Hirschkuh (drama in 4 scenes with intermezzo, text by Julie Schrader), 1977
Die Menschen (opera in 2 acts, libretto by the composer, after Walter Hasenclever), 1989–90
Bing (opera, libretto by Samuel Beckett [translated by Elmar Tophoven]), 2 sopranos, 2 speakers, small orchestra, 1999–2001
ORCHESTRAL:
Konzert, small orchestra (flute [+ piccolo], oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, French horn, tuba, harp, piano, celesta, timpani, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, 2 5-string double basses), 1975
Scherzo und Adagio patetico, large orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, 2 percussion, strings), 1976
Zwei Stücke, small orchestra (8 winds, 2 French horns, 6 strings), 1976–77
Passacaglia, large orchestra (13 winds, 11 brass, timpani, strings), 1978
Symphonie Nr. 1, large orchestra (13 winds, 11 brass, timpani, bass drum, strings), 1978–80
Konzert, piano, large orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, electronic organ, 2 percussion, strings), 1980–81
Under Neonlight I, small orchestra (4 winds, 3 brass, piano, electronic organ, snare drum, 5 strings), 1980–81
Konzert, viola, orchestra (2 flutes [2nd + piccolo], 4 oboes, 2 clarinets, alto saxophone, 2 bassoons, 10 brass, piano, 2 percussion, 6 violins, 4 cellos, 4 double basses), 1983–84
Quatre Passages, large orchestra (12 winds, 9 brass, 2 percussion, 50 strings), 1988
Konzert, French horn, orchestra (11 winds, 7 brass, tam-tam [+ bass drum], 40 strings), 1988–89
Carillon, large orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, piano, 3 percussion, strings), 1991
Doppelkonzert, violin, viola, orchestra (8 winds, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, percussion, strings), 1992
Tom-a-Bedlam, small orchestra (flute [+ piccolo], oboe [+ English horn], clarinet [+ bass clarinet], soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bassoon [+ contrabassoon], French horn, cornet, trombone, euphonium, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 1990–93 (version of vocal work)
Phoenix 1, small orchestra (4 winds, 3 brass, piano, 5 strings), 1993
Phoenix 2, small orchestra (4 winds, 3 brass, piano, 5 strings), 1994
Phoenix 3, small orchestra (4 winds, 3 brass, piano, 5 strings), 1995
Maïastra, orchestra/large orchestra (12 winds, 6 brass, 42/44 strings), 1995–96
Refuge, small orchestra (4 winds, French horn, piano, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 1997–98
Light blue, almost white (in memoriam Olivier Messiaen), small orchestra (piccolo, oboe, E-flat clarinet, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, piano, 2 violins, viola, cello), 1998
the space of a step, orchestra (12 winds, 10 brass, strings), 2005
Kommos, small orchestra, 2008–09
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Nocturne, violin, piano, 1975
Les Sanglots longs des violons de l'automne, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1975
Variationen über einen Ländler von Schubert, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos, 1977–78 (also version for flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 1977–78)
Pavane, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, piano, 2 violins, viola, cello, 1984–85
Oktett, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 1988–89
Erstes Streichquartett, string quartet, 1989–90
Sextett, flute (+ piccolo), oboe, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), violin, viola, cello, 1993
Cuts, alto saxophone, ensemble (E-flat clarinet, bassoon, French horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, percussion), 1996–97
Streichtrio, violin, viola, cello, 2002
Bedlam Dances, flute (+ piccolo, bass flute), percussion, 2003
distant traces, violin, viola, piano, 2007
lost traces, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2007
...called dusk I, cello, piano, 2008–09
Privacy (in memoriam László Polgár), clarinet, violin, piano, 2010
...called dusk II, string quartet, 2011
CHORAL:
Arioso (text by Franz Kafka), soprano, tenor, mixed chorus in 4 groups, French horn, orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, strings), 1986
Die Aussicht (text by Friedrich Hölderlin), 8 mixed voices, small orchestra (piccolo, 2 flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet, tuba, piano, glockenspiel, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 2003–04
VOCAL:
Lieder und Pavanen (text by Franz Kafka), tenor, orchestra (12 winds, 11 brass, strings), 1984–85
Tom-a-Bedlam (texts from anonymous 17th-century poems), 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, small orchestra (4 winds, French horn, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 1990–91 (also version for small orchestra [flute (+ piccolo), oboe (+ English horn), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bassoon (+ contrabassoon), French horn, cornet, trombone, euphonium, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass])
Zwei Lieder nach Gedichten von Friedrich Hölderlin (text by Friedrich Hölderlin), soprano, piano, 1999–2000
PIANO:
Under Neonlight II, 1980–83
Under Neonlight III, 1987
Drei Stücke, 2012