Fritz Brun

Fritz Brun (18 August 1878 – 29 November 1959) was a Swiss conductor and composer of classical music.

Brun was born in Lucerne. He was a student of Franz Wüllner at the conservatory at Cologne, and studied piano and theory there until 1902. The following year he became a piano teacher at the music school in Bern. From 1909 until 1943, he led the symphony concerts of the Bernischen Musikgesellschaft, and was conductor of the choral society and lieder group there. From 1926 to 1940, additionally, he was the vice-president of the Swiss music society Tonkünstlerverein. In June 1941 Brun retired, except for occasional returns to conducting.

In 1912 Brun married Hanna Rosenmund, and three children were born to their marriage. He died in Grosshöchstetten.

His compositions include ten symphonies, of which a complete series is in progress (as of 2012) on the Guild Music CD label, others on LP and elsewhere:

• No. 1 in B minor (1901) (premiered 1908 June 1 conducted by the composer)
• No. 2 in B♭ (1911) (premiered 1911 February 14 conducted by Volkmar Andreae)
• No. 3 in D minor (1919) (premiered 1920 March 3, conducted by the composer)
• No. 4 in E (1925) (premiered 1926 February 2 conducted by Volkmar Andreae))
• No. 5 in E♭ (1929) (Chaconne/Gehetzt, phantastisch/Langsam (slow)/Rasch und wütend)(premiered 1930 January 14 conducted by Volkmar Andreae)
• No. 6 in C (1932–1933) (premiered 1933 October 29 conducted by Hermann Scherchen)
• No. 7 in D (1937) (premiered 1937 November 10 conducted by Hermann Scherchen)
• No. 8 in A (1938/1942?) (premiered 1942 November 11 conducted by Hermann Scherchen))
• No. 9 in F (symphony/suite; five movements) (1949–50) (premiered 1960 December 12, conducted by Volkmar Andreae)
• No. 10 in B♭ (1953, premiered 1955 November 7 conducted by Luc Balmer)

Also there is a piano concerto in A (1946), a cello concerto in D minor (1947), a Symphonic Prolog for Orchestra (1942), four string quartets (E♭ major, 1898; G major, 1921; F major, 1943; D major, 1949), a piano quintet (1902), and three piano and string sonatas - two for piano with violin (D minor, 1906 and D major, 1951), one with cello (1920, 1951, 1952), and other works for various ensembles.