Aurèle Nicolet

Aurèle Nicolet ( born January 22, 1926 in Neuchâtel ) is a Swiss flute player.

Aurèle Nicolet studied at the conservatory in Zurich with André Jaunet (flute ) and Willy Burkhard (theory and composition ) and then, from 1945 to 1947, at the Paris Conservatoire with Marcel Moyse and Yvonne Drappier. In 1947 he won first prize at the Conservatoire, in 1948 those at the Concours de Genève. 1945-47 he played in the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, from 1948-50 as a solo flutist of the Symphony Orchestra of Winterthur. Wilhelm Furtwängler brought him in 1950 as a solo flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic, where he served until 1959.

From 1952 to 1965 Nicolet was a professor at the Academy of Music in Berlin. During this time he also taught at the summer courses of the Salzburg Mozarteum flute and chamber music. From 1965 to 1981 he was director of the master class in Freiburg. During these years he also often played with the Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter.

Toru Takemitsu, György Ligeti, Aribert Reimann, Wolfgang Hufschmidt and Edison Vasilievich Denisov wrote pieces for him. Other works among others Cristóbal Halffter, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and Rudolf Kelterborn have been premiered by him.

1963 Nicolet was awarded the German Critics Prize. As a figure he appeared in my century (Chapter 1963) by Günter Grass, with whom he performed together in 1966 at the Old Church Boswil specially composed pieces for speaking voice and flute.