Olivier Darbellay
Olivier Darbellay was born in Berne/Switzerland in 1974; he did his musical studies at the Berne Conservatory, cello with Patrick Demenga and Peter Hörr an horn with Thomas Müller and David Johnson as teachers.He completed his studies with Bruno Schneider in Freiburg and for the natural horn courses in Basel with Th. Müller at the "Schola Cantorum Basiliensis".
In 1999 he won the Music competition of the "Communauté des Radios publiques de langue françaises" and became "Young soloist CRPLF 2000",including a debut -CD recording for the Label "Cascavelle" and recitals in the member countries of the CRPLF. In Lissabon he won 2000 the competition of the "Tribune des jeunes interpretes".
As soloist he performed a.o. with the "Moscow Symphony Orchestra", the "Moscow State Symphony", the "Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege" the "Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa", the Radio Chamber Orchestra Bucharest, with Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the chamber orchestras of Basel and Zurich, the Symphony Orchestras of Berne and Biel and the Camerata Bern with conductors like Schiff, McCreesh, Kitajenko and Sakari.
Beside his solo-perfomances he has an intensive activity as a chamber musician with various ensembles and gives recitals with piano;with the "Ensemble Antipodes", the Ensemble Contrechamps, the Collegium Novum Zurich and with musicians like Raphaël Oleg, Joshua Bell, Akiko Suwanai, Patricia Kopatchinskaya, Erich Höbarth, Heinz Holliger, Hermann Baumann, Fabio di Casola, Peter Hörr and Siegfried Palm he performed in most of the european countries including Russia, in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Australia.
He was invited to several festivals, like a.o. Lucerne Festival, Berliner Festwochen, Festival de Radio France a Montpellier, the "Young artist" Davos, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, the Verbier Festival, "März Musik Berlin", Ittinger Pfingstkonzerte, the "Murten Classics", the "Orpheum Festival" Zurich, Rheingau Festival, Grafenegg Festival and the Barossa Chamber Music festival.
An important part of his activities is also focused on the contemporary music, where several pieces were dedicated to him. He took part in many world premieresat festivals like "Wien modern", Donaueschingen, Festival "Présences" Paris, Ars Musica Brussels, Musica Strassbourg, 2d2n Odessa, Muzikas Forums Riga and the ISCM -World Music Days in Luxemburg, Hong Kong and Switzerland.
In addition he was invited to play on the natural horn with groups like the "Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra", "la Stagione" Frankfurt, Basel Baroque Chamber Orchestra and as well for concerts and recordings with the "Bach Collegium Japan".
He is plays currently Principal Horn with the Berne Simphony Orchestra and the Basel Chamber Orchestra.
