Thomas Kessler
Ground-breaking and forward-thinking
Swiss music prize 2018
Born in Zurich in 1937, Thomas Kessler is one of the great pioneers of electronic music. He has written many remarkable compositions (including the “Control” series), led the Electronic Studio Basel to international acclaim, and founded the Zurich New Music Days together with Gérard Zinsstag. Kessler continues to produce new and thoroughly surprising works. In “NGH WHT”, he takes the words of Saul Williams and merges rap with a contemporary string quartet, while “UTOPIA” has every member of an orchestra controlling their own sound with a laptop. Kessler is a ground-breaking, politically charged musician.