Tobias Krebs

Tobias Krebs is a Swiss composer and classical guitarist. From 2012 to 2019 he studied at the Hochschule für Musik Basel and at the Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium in Aarhus (DK), with a focus on the interpretation of contemporary music. He completed his Master's and Bachelor's degrees "with distinction".

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His compositions have been performed by renowned ensembles and interpreters in Switzerland and abroad, including the Collegium Novum Zürich, Zürcher Kammerorchester, ensemble recherche, ensemble proton bern, Ensemble Phoenix Basel, Ensemble TaG, soyuz21 new music ensemble, and by soloists such as Pablo Márquez and Marcus Weiss. As a guitarist, he is a long-standing member of various chamber music formations: in the Duo Luschaina together with Jonas Krebs on the violin, in the HOAX Quartet (contemporary music for four guitars) and in guitarra a seis, a classical music guitar sextet. He teaches classical guitar at Musikschule Konservatorium Zürich. 

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In the compositionFirn (2024) for bass flute, Paetzold, harpsichord, harp, and objects, Tobias Krebs creates a soundscape shaped by subtle shifts and suspended states. He seeks to musically portray a gradual, almost imperceptible change, reminiscent of the slow movement of a shadow or the melting of ice.

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Firn invites the listener to pause and reflect on the transience of nature, just as snow, ‘firn’ itself, glaciers, and water are subject to an unstoppable process of change, sometimes slow and barely perceptible, sometimes startlingly rapid. This composition is a sonic reflection on time and the constant transformation of our lives and environment.

…a meditation on transience, time, and the transformation of forms. Every sound exists only for a fleeting moment. Music is an ephemeral art form, existing only in the moment of performance, and then continuing to live in the listener’s memory.