Willy Odermatt, Composer & Arranger for Brass Music

Willy Odermatt

Composer

Willy Odermatt was born in Weggis, where he attended primary and secondary school. He took his first music lessons at the Weggis Music School, first learning to play the cornet and later the euphonium. He completed a four-year apprenticeship as an industrial tinsmith and also attended the cantonal wind instrument courses in Lucerne. In 1979, he attended recruit school in Bern, where he played in the Swiss Army band. At that time, he spent several years as an euphonium player in the Swiss National Youth Brass Band. He completed a degree in wind music conducting with a minor in trombone at the Lucerne Conservatory. This was followed by further studies in secondary school music education at the Winterthur-Zurich University of Music, training as a music school director and a postgraduate Master of Advanced Studies in Cultural Management Practice at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

During this time, he taught at various music schools in the cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz.

From 1996 to 2023, Willy Odermatt's main occupation was as director of the Arth-Goldau Music School. He also played euphonium and trombone in various wind orchestras, brass bands, theatre orchestras and symphony orchestras. During this time, he was principal euphonium player in the well-known Swiss brass band Dorfspatzen Oberägeri for 15 years. He was the permanent conductor of the Brass Band Oberrüti, the Brass Band Greppen and the Feldmusik Weggis and Musikgesellschaft Arth wind orchestras, among others. He also held various positions in local, cantonal and federal associations. For example, he was president of the Swiss litte Wind Band Association (ISB) and vice-president of the Swiss Music School Association (VMS). He was a founding member and long-standing board member of the Schwyz Cantonal Music School Association (VMSZ).

Since 1992, he has composed and arranged various works for brass bands and wind orchestras in his spare time, but mainly for brass bands. He has now composed more than 40 works.

Since 2023, Willy Odermatt has been living with his wife in Brno, Czech Republic. In addition to composing and arranging for various ensembles, Willy Odermatt's leisure activities include attending concerts and travelling.