Manfred Eicher

Manfred Eicher (born 1943) studied music at the Academy of Music in Berlin. In 1969 he founded the Edition of Contemporary Music (ECM) for which he is recording producer, publisher and editor.
     Hundreds of records made under his artistic direction include those of Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Dave Holland, Egberto Gismonti, Paul Bley, Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, Dino Saluzzi, John Surman, Ralph Towner, Terje Rypdal, Bobo Stenson and the Art Ensemble of Chicago. For ECM New Series he has produced recordings by composers György Kurtág, Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke, Giya Kancheli, Heinz Holliger, Meredith Monk, Gavin Bryars, Steve Reich and John Adams. He has developed artistic relationships and recordings with musicians and authors such as Kim Kashkashian, the Hilliard Ensemble (including the “Officium” collaboration with Jan Garbarek), Gidon Kremer, Thomas Demenga, András Schiff, Heinz Holliger, the Keller Quartet, Dennis Russell Davies, Bruno Ganz, and Jean-Luc Godard.
     In 1990 he codirected Holozän, a feature film with Erland Josephson, based on the novel by Max Frisch, which received the “Special Jury Prize” at the Locarno Film Festival.
     His film work also includes music production and/or conception for films by Jean-Luc Godard (Eloge de l’Amour, The Old Place, Forever Mozart, JLG, Hélas Pour Moi, Allemagne Neuf Zéro, Nouvelle Vague, Histoire(s) du Cinéma), Theo Angelopoulos (Eternity And A Day, Ulysses’ Gaze, The Suspended Step Of The Stork), for Xavier Koller’s Journey To Hope, for Sandra Nettelbeck’s Mostly Martha and the documentary film War Photographer by Christian Frei.
     In 1986 Manfred Eicher received the honorary “German Record Critics Award” for his achievements. Awards for outstanding productions include the “Grand Prix du Disque” (France), the “Edison Award” (Holland), “Grammy Award” (USA).
     In 1998 Eicher received the “Music Prize of the City of Munich”. In 1999 he was appointed “Commander of the Royal Order of the Polar Star” by His Majesty the King of Sweden and received the “V Class Order of the Cross of St. Mary’s Land” by the President of Estonia. In July 2001 Manfred Eicher was appointed “Comander of the Royal Order of Merit” by His Majesty the King of Norway.
     On August 1, 2000 Manfred Eicher was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Brighton in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of contemporary music.
     In 2002 he received a Grammy Award from the American Recording Academy as “Classical Producer of the Year”, and was nominated again in the same category for 2003 and 2004.

Photo: Roberto Masotti