Carl Rütti

Swiss Classical Composer and Organist

Swiss Composer, Pianist and Organist Carl Rütti (*1949) grew up in Zug, Switzerland. After taking his A levels at the monastery school in Engelberg, he studied music at the Zürich Conservatoire, emerging in 1975 with a Solisten-diploma in both piano and organ. During the following year, studying under Kendall Taylor and Richard Latham in London, he became especially fascinated by English choral singing, which inspired him to write several pieces for a cappella choir. Some of these were recorded by the choir of Brompton Oratory, London (1978), and the BBC Singers, and broadcast by the BBC (1982). Since then he has composed a steady output of largely religious choral works - including Sermon on the Mount, Songs of Love, Verena die Quelle, Veni Creator Spiritus (a 40 part motet), O magnum mysterium, a Magnificat, a Stabat Mater, St Peter and St Paul and Alpha and Omega (first performed at the BBC PROMS in 1999), and worked together with many English choirs such as The Bach Choir, Cambridge Voices, BBC Symphony Chorus, London Trinity College Choir, Wooburn Singers, Cheltenham Bach Choir, English Baroque Choir, Escorial Choir and Cathedral Choir, Norwich, and some American choirs (mon choeur, Indianapolis, St. Louis Chamber Choir and The Choir of St. Francis in the Fields, Kentucky). His compositions also include the carol I wonder as I wander, which has been performed several times in recent years as part of King’s College Cambridge’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. He has also produced several instrumental works including a Pavane (for violin and organ), the Montreux Wind Dances (for brass band), Metamorphosis (a concerto for euphonium and wind orchestra), Stundenbuch for piano solo, a concerto for 3 pianos and orchestra and a concerto for alpenhorn and strings. Rütti’s music blends the English choral tradition with other genres including jazz and the blues in rich colourful textures, and has been performed all over the world. Many of his works have been recorded on CD. Carl Rütti gives concerts and recitals as a pianist and organist, and is the organist of the local church in Oberägeri, Zug. Text from the Artists Homepage.