Referenzen
Willi Maerz
Komposition.Arrangement.
Testimonials
Komposition.Arrangement.
Testimonials
Oliver Weder, GMD Rudolstadt
Oliver Weder, chief conductor, Rudolstadt, Germany: Willi Maerz is a remarkable and outstandingly experienced and capable arranger of orchestral works, whose arrangements over a wide variety of genres never fail to hit home. Time and again he has been able to adapt his arrangements with great sensitivity to the artistic level of the performers, and coupled with the required pragmatism that guarantees a successful performances despite the limited rehearsal time of a typical public symphony orchestra.
It is very much to be hoped that he will communicate his skills to the next generation of aspiring composers and arrangers.
Oliver Weder, chief conductor, Rudolstadt, Germany: Willi Maerz is a remarkable and outstandingly experienced and capable arranger of orchestral works, whose arrangements over a wide variety of genres never fail to hit home. Time and again he has been able to adapt his arrangements with great sensitivity to the artistic level of the performers, and coupled with the required pragmatism that guarantees a successful performances despite the limited rehearsal time of a typical public symphony orchestra.
It is very much to be hoped that he will communicate his skills to the next generation of aspiring composers and arrangers.
Evelyn Huber
I experienced and highly esteem Willi Maerz as an exceptionally proficient and beautifully enthusiastic composer. I greatly appreciate our fruitful exchange, and due to his great knowledge of my instrument, refreshing curiosity and innovative spirit he occupies an important position in the harp repertoire.
Bernhard Kugler
Artistic director of the Aurelius Boys‘ Choir Calw
Artistic director of the Aurelius Boys‘ Choir Calw
After arrangements by Willi Maertz had become an indispensable feature of the repertoire of the Aurelius Boys‘ Choir Calw over the years, the idea was born for a larger project together. Will Maerz’ suggestion for a production that would bring the Mannheim Harp Quartet together with the Aurelius Boys‘ Choir Calw was immediately met with great enthusiasm from all involved, and Willi Maerz lost no time to translate the idea into music. With great sensitivity he has been able to successfully translate the individuality of the various folk songs and their great diversity of styles into arrangements for the unusual pairing of harp quartet and boys’ choir, thus achieving a range of effects from allusions to chamber music to dance accompaniments to symphonic sound, enthusiastically received by the audience.
Our cooperation with Willy Maerz has been harmonious and especially delightful, and we look forward already to our forthcoming new project: Beautiful, joyful, energetic arrangements, including some new and original compositions for boys’ choir and combo which have thrilled and enthused the Aurelius boys already during rehearsals. And so our fruitful cooperation continues – especially precious at the current time. The title of the first track says it all: “We are back!”.
Our cooperation with Willy Maerz has been harmonious and especially delightful, and we look forward already to our forthcoming new project: Beautiful, joyful, energetic arrangements, including some new and original compositions for boys’ choir and combo which have thrilled and enthused the Aurelius boys already during rehearsals. And so our fruitful cooperation continues – especially precious at the current time. The title of the first track says it all: “We are back!”.
Prof. Michelle Gott,
Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona:
It was an exceptional honor to host Willi Maerz at the University of Arizona in November 2019. As part of his 10-day visit to Tucson, Willi provided a wonderful lecture for the public on arranging music for harp ensemble, detailed lessons on arranging for my students and myself, coaching sessions for HarpFusion (our university harp ensemble) on the style of his own publications, and a joint lecture-performance that included samples by the students as well as several of Willi’s arrangements for harp ensemble. As a teacher and lecturer, Willi has a captivating style that is both incredibly focused on specific details but also wildly creative. My students and I grew so much in our knowledge and process of working on arrangements because of Willi’s dedicated, inspiring, and patient teaching. We are deeply grateful for this experience, and we look forward to many more seasons of collaboration with Willi!
Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona:
It was an exceptional honor to host Willi Maerz at the University of Arizona in November 2019. As part of his 10-day visit to Tucson, Willi provided a wonderful lecture for the public on arranging music for harp ensemble, detailed lessons on arranging for my students and myself, coaching sessions for HarpFusion (our university harp ensemble) on the style of his own publications, and a joint lecture-performance that included samples by the students as well as several of Willi’s arrangements for harp ensemble. As a teacher and lecturer, Willi has a captivating style that is both incredibly focused on specific details but also wildly creative. My students and I grew so much in our knowledge and process of working on arrangements because of Willi’s dedicated, inspiring, and patient teaching. We are deeply grateful for this experience, and we look forward to many more seasons of collaboration with Willi!
Prof. Dr Susanne Popp,
Head and Director of the Reger Institute, Karlsruhe, Germany, about the arrangement of the Scherzo in F-Sharp Minor, WoO III/20
I did enjoy your arrangement very much! Indeed, the scherzo really had been waiting to be translated into this mercurial piece. It convinces and comes naturally, and, as Reger himself would put it: It is jolly! With brevity the soul of wit, every punchline becomes a highlight through perfect timing and orchestration. I look forward to many performances, as your arrangement of this typical Reger piece is sure to make many future, atypical, Reger fans.
Thank you very much for this work and the recording which will both be a fantastic addition to our archives.
Sincerely Yours
Susanne Popp
Head and Director of the Reger Institute, Karlsruhe, Germany, about the arrangement of the Scherzo in F-Sharp Minor, WoO III/20
I did enjoy your arrangement very much! Indeed, the scherzo really had been waiting to be translated into this mercurial piece. It convinces and comes naturally, and, as Reger himself would put it: It is jolly! With brevity the soul of wit, every punchline becomes a highlight through perfect timing and orchestration. I look forward to many performances, as your arrangement of this typical Reger piece is sure to make many future, atypical, Reger fans.
Thank you very much for this work and the recording which will both be a fantastic addition to our archives.
Sincerely Yours
Susanne Popp
Siegfried Jung,
Solotubist am Nationaltheater Mannheim
Solotubist am Nationaltheater Mannheim
Willi März stands out. The first arrangement by him I myself encountered is his arrangement of Ionel Dumitru’s Romanian Dance No. 2, well-known and very popular among Tubists. Willis arrangement for Orchestra accompaniment adds a refreshing twist to the piece, and it is simply enjoyable to play! Willi is also an accomplished and uniquely versatile composer. I commissioned the Divertimento for tuba, harp and orchestra from him for my debut album Paesaggio, which I recorded together with the Orchestra of the National Theatre Mannheim, Germany. It is a virtuoso appreciation of every possible facet, to encompass every possible stylistic device, which comes easy to Willi as he is so well versed in the most diverse of genres. Will März is an artist of sound, and he simply appreciates what is appropriate. And so he is currently one of the most important contemporary composers for the tuba. All his compositions, if for piano or orchestra accompaniment or for duet with harp, are available on CD under the Coviello Classics label. The harp is Willy März’ passion and he knows how to arrange music for harp unlike any other. And anyone who once encountered his style will immediately recognize again “this is a März!” I very much look forward to many new works to come.
Prof. Washington Barella, Oboist,
Berlin University of the Arts
In the last few years I often had the pleasure of performing in arrangements for wind ensembles by Willi Maerz, and I was very positively impressed indeed. They captivate, as they demonstrate in-depth familiarity with the specific character of each instrument, and through effective and elegant composition technique. Every single arrangement has been carefully executed and shows great passion for every detail. Mr Maerz impressed me with his full grasp of a wide variety of music genres, ranging from classical, to swing, to Latin American music – which to me, as a Brazilian, is especially close to my heart and soul.
The cooperation with Willi Maerz is defined and characterized by his great passion for arrangement, which is also wonderfully motivating to every ensemble he encounters, time and again.
Last but not least, his sense of humour comes as an extra treat…
Berlin University of the Arts
In the last few years I often had the pleasure of performing in arrangements for wind ensembles by Willi Maerz, and I was very positively impressed indeed. They captivate, as they demonstrate in-depth familiarity with the specific character of each instrument, and through effective and elegant composition technique. Every single arrangement has been carefully executed and shows great passion for every detail. Mr Maerz impressed me with his full grasp of a wide variety of music genres, ranging from classical, to swing, to Latin American music – which to me, as a Brazilian, is especially close to my heart and soul.
The cooperation with Willi Maerz is defined and characterized by his great passion for arrangement, which is also wonderfully motivating to every ensemble he encounters, time and again.
Last but not least, his sense of humour comes as an extra treat…
Prof. Kilian Herold, Klarinettist,
SWR Sinfonieorchester, Musikhochschule Freiburg
SWR Sinfonieorchester, Musikhochschule Freiburg
I am very familiar with and I highly appreciate Willi Maerz‘ arrangements for woodwind octet. It was with the greatest sophistication and sensitivity for the varied timbres of the wind orchestration that he arranged Schubert precious Moments Musicaux, and without compromising the subtlety of the original compositions, among others.
Prof. Anton Hollich, Klarinettist,
SWR Sinfonieorchester, Musikhochschule Freiburg
"Willi Maerz fully grasps and appreciates the soul of the clarinet."
SWR Sinfonieorchester, Musikhochschule Freiburg
"Willi Maerz fully grasps and appreciates the soul of the clarinet."
Gerhard Schilling,
Musikredakteur Hessischer Rundfunk
Musikredakteur Hessischer Rundfunk
"Whatever comes from him will always deserve distinction "outstanding“, do not miss".
Rastatter Tageblatt,
(daily newspaper, Germany), January 2016,
Thanks to a number of brand new arrangements by visiting soloist Willi Maerz, the event was no da capo experience for listeners, as it included many truly surprising moments. Multitalented all-rounder Maerz both entertained as host and added a brilliant zither voice to the octet of the salon orchestra. And he was able to upstage and dominate the accompanying fellow musicians with his performance on an old-fashioned typewriter, in the piece by the same name by Leroy Anderson.
New Year’s Concert of the Salon Orchestra Baden Baden