photo by Dennis Yulov
welcome
to my website
I am a composer and orchestrator living and working in Berne, Switzerland. My music has been performed by amazing artists such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Festival Strings Lucerne or the English National Ballet.
I have always had a special interest in writing for large ensembles and a curiosity about different musical styles and cultures. This helped me to find my own personal voice.
Please step in and have a listen!
'The two Stephan Hodel pieces are highly attractive. In style they sit somewhere between Blues, Barber and Broadway, and Hodel's rich orchestration complements Mina's performances...'
Planet Hugill, a world of classical music
news
recent and upcoming projects
Recent premiere
Jeanloup & Etienne
New show for children and families with a clown, an orchestra and myself as composer and conductor.
Kurt Bucher, Jeanloup
Stephan Hodel, Etienne
Kammerphilharmonie Graubünden
Theater Chur
Watch video here.
Circles for 2 clarinets
Chen and Ashkenazy
'Circles' for two clarinets and piano has just been premiered by Irene Chen, Dimitri Ashkenazy and Yvonne Lang.
The piece is based on three songs by the Swiss poet and songwriter Hans Roelli.
Concerts took place at Musik Hug in Basel, Zurich and Luzern.
Watch video here.
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consonare - resonare
Schaffhauser Jazzfestival
I've been commissioned a new work for the 30th edition of the Jazzfestival Schaffhausen.
The work features a brass band, a jazz saxophonist and several yodel singers and alphorn players and was premiered at the Münster Schaffhausen.
More information here.
China premiere
West End Philharmonics
Premiere of a new production for the West End Philharmonics at the National Library Arts Centre in Beijing, China.
This interactive concert for children includes live musicians, actors and projections. Based on the 'Kubbe' children's books by Norwegian author/illustrator Ashild Johnsen.
Check this.
Hong Kong premiere
The Stellar Trio
PC-24
Festival Strings Lucerne
My symphonic poem for orchestra celebrating the launch of the new PC-24 jet was premiered at KKL Luzern by the amazing Festival Strings Lucerne and conductor Dan Dodds.
Go to music to listen to the piece.
Interview
Dukascopy TV Shanghai
Talking to Yiyin Wang from Dukascopy TV Shanghai about my experience in Asia during our tour to Taiwan and China in 2017.
Watch here.
US premiere
A lenda do boto
Performance at California State University in Fresno. The piece was chosen out of nearly 300 submissions in a call for scores and tells the legend of the pink river dolphin in the Amazon rainforest.
Listen here.
A new version of Valse Bleue including a cello was premiered at the Chinese University of Hong Kong by the Stellar Trio.
Irene Chen, clarinet
Zhu Mu, cello
Michelle Yip, piano
Lee Hysan Concert Hall
music
Click on the image to get more information about the project and listen to music.
about
the person behind the music
Stephan Hodel is a versatile composer, arranger and orchestrator. He has written for ensembles of various kinds, from big band to symphony orchestra. He has also written for theatre/ballet, rock music productions and has composed music for children.
Two of Stephan's orchestral songs, written for soprano Katerina Mina, have been recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Grzegroz Nowak and appear on Katerina's debut album Angel of Fire. His orchestral work PC-24, ein musikalischer Alpenflug was commissioned by the Festival Strings Lucerne and celebrates the launch of a new aircraft.
Further highlights include a ballet score for the English National Ballet Choreographics at the Barbican, Sinfonische Stubete, a piece for clarinet ensemble at Tonhalle Zürich, a showcase of the musical The Happy Hypocrite in London and Oxford, the music for the theatrical show Romeo and Juliet de Buenos Aires (Cockpit Theatre, London) a concert with his music at Beijing Concert Hall with the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra and the concert series The Power of Musick (featuring rapper Greis) at KKL Luzern.
As an orchestrator he worked on films such as Albatross (with Julia Ormond, Felicity Jones and Sebastian Koch), Above&Beyond: The Craftsman and the Swiss sci-fi film Cargo. His collaboration with the rock band Dada Ante Portas has been awarded with a Gold Record for the album Seasons Change.
Teaching activities include a jazz workshop at Morley College, orchestration for wind band at Bern University of the Arts (HKB), and music theory at the University of Teachers Education Lucerne. In theatre he worked with the London Bubble Theatre Company, the Harbinger Company and also held the position of MD for the production of Sugar – some like it hot! at the Luzerner Theater.
Based in Berne, Switzerland, Stephan is a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London where he completed his postgraduate studies with distinction in Composition with Joseph Horovitz. Also at the RCM he was awarded the Cobbett and Hurlstone Prize for outstanding creative achievement. He studied Jazz Composition and Arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston and holds a MA in Conducting and Music Education from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Lucerne.