(b. 1952, Lucerne).

Swiss composer of chamber works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere; he is also active as a saxophonist.

Mr. Leimgruber is self-taught as a composer.

Among his honours are the Anerkennungspreis from the city of Lucerne (1977), a fellowship from the Marianne und Curt Dienemann-Stiftung in Lucerne (1988), a fellowship from the cultural department of the canton and city of Lucerne (1994), and an award from the Aargauer Kuratorium (1999, for his œuvre). He has received commissions from the ARTE Quartett, the Heidelberger Kunstverein and the organisation Pro Helvetia.

As a saxophonist, he has been active in improvisation since the early 1970s, when he co-founded the ensemble for electric jazz OM.

He lived in France from 1988–2005, but has once again lived in Switzerland since 2005.

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Raga I, tenor saxophone, 1988

Raga II, soprano saxophone, 1988

Statement of an Antirider, bass saxophone, 1988

Leonor, soprano saxophone, 1988

L'Énigmatique, 3 winds, percussion, 1989

Hula Hop Eins, soprano saxophone, double bass, percussion, 1989

Lagebericht 1–2 (text by Felix Philipp Ingold), voice, 2 bass clarinets, soprano saxophone (+ tenor saxophone), electric guitar, bass guitar, live electronics, 1990

Not Rückwärts, soprano saxophone, double bass, 1990

Hula Hop Zwei, 3 saxophones, 1992

Half past luck, tenor saxophone, 1992

Sopralogie 1, soprano saxophone, 1992

Balabesk, soprano saxophone, 1992

Spiegelblinkt, 3 saxophones, 1992

Triple swift, soprano saxophone, 1992

Urubu, 3 saxophones, 1992

One for A, soprano saxophone, double bass, percussion, 1992

Capricorn, flute/soprano saxophone, 1992

Now one, soprano saxophone, percussion, 1993

Now two, soprano saxophone, electric guitar, double bass, gongs (1 player), 1993

Now three, soprano saxophone, 3 pianos, cymbals (1 player), 1993

Now four, 2 saxophones, percussion, 1994

Clapotis two, 2 soprano saxophones, 1995

Clapotis three, dancer, 2 saxophones, 1995

Clapotis one for 4, 4 saxophones, 1996

Piano trio, 'mars', soprano saxophone, piano, percussion, 1997

Xylem 1–3, 4 saxophones, 1997

Xylem 4, 5 saxophones, 1997

Sopralogie 2, 4 saxophones, fixed media, 1997

Pulsar, 5 saxophones, 1999

Net 1-2-10, 6 saxophones, tuba, 2 electric guitars, percussion, 2001

e_a.sonata.02, soprano saxophone (+ tenor saxophone), 4 saxophones, live electronics, 2002

DISCOGRAPHY (selection)

Statement of an Antirider. Urs Leimgruber, bass saxophone (HatHut Records: 6013, 1988)

Ungleich. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Adelhard Roidinger, double bass (HatHut Records: 6049, 1990)

L'Énigmatique. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Fritz Hauser, percussion (HatHut Records: 6091, 1991)

Goletter. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones (Unit: 4050, 1992)

Duho. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Fritz Hauser, percussion (Unit: 4062, 1993)

Lines. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Adelhard Roidinger, double bass; Fritz Hauser, percussion (HatHut Records: 6149, 1994)

Behind the Night. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Marilyn Crispell, Hildegard Kleeb, Elvira Plenar, pianos; Fritz Hauser, percussion (B&W: 049, 1994)

No Try No Fail. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Joëlle Léandre, double bass; Fritz Hauser, percussion (HatHut Records: 509, 1996)

Leimgruber Live Hauser. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Fritz Hauser, percussion (Plainisphare, 1998)

Quartet Noir. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Joëlle Léandre, double bass; Marilyn Crispell, piano; Fritz Hauser, percussion (victo: 067, 1999)

Xylem 1–3; Xylem 4. ARTE Quartett (Schweizerischer Tonkünstlerverein: STV/ASM 003, 1999)

blue log. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones (For4Ears: CD 1137, 2000)

Screen. Lauren Newton, Dorothea Schürch, voices; Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Zeena Parkins, harp, electric harp; Yoshihide Ōtomo, electric guitar; Alexander Frangenheim, double bass; Roger Turner, percussion (cod: 005, 2000)

Nach der Stimme. Felix Philipp Ingold, speaker; Urs Leimgruber, saxophones (cod: 006, 2000)

Wing Vane. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Barre Phillips, double bass; Jacques Demierre, piano (victo: 079, 2001)

Out of Sound. Lauren Newton, voice; Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Joëlle Léandre, double bass (Leo Records: LR 337, 2002)

The Difference between a Fish. Michel Doneda, Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Keith Rowe, electric guitar (Potlatch: P302, 2003)

e_a.sonata.02. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; ARTE Quartett; Günter Müller, live electronics (For4Ears: CD 1447, 2003)

La Fourmi. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Christy Doran, guitar; Fritz Hauser, percussion; Hanspeter Pfammatter, live electronics (Creative Works: 1044, 2005)

ldp – cologne. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Barre Phillips, double bass; Jacques Demierre, piano (psi: 05.03, 2005)

Lugano. Urs Leimgruber, saxophones; Joëlle Léandre, double bass; Marilyn Crispell, piano; Fritz Hauser, percussion (victo: 096, 2005)