‍Tommy Thomas

‍Fortmann

‍was born in Switzerland and became a successful songwriter in the 1970s, while also pursuing an international golfing career. He wrote his first hit at the age of 16, followed by more than one hundred songs released in 27 countries. Numerous German and international artists, such as Udo Lindenberg, Alexis Korner, Love Generation, Demon Thor, Jürgen Drews, Jay C. Cory, Cockpit, Daniela Davoli, and many others recorded his songs. He composed the music for the musical “Tell”, which caused a scandal in Switzerland, while the album reached the charts across all German-speaking countries. 

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‍At the age of 26, Fortmann abandoned his career as a rock musician and dedicated himself to further studies in composition and instrumentation. This period laid the foundation for an extensive body of work that includes chamber music, operas and musical theatre, orchestral, choral, piano and organ pieces, as well as several song cycles.

‍His work has been supported by institutions such as the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Zurich Opera House, Open Opera St. Gallen, Bühne Aarau, Espace Nuithonie, the City of Zurich, the EU Kaleidoscope program, the University of Silesia, the University of Houston, Carnegie Hall, and several festivals, including Murten Classics, Gaia Festival, and Salerno Piano Festival. 

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‍Fortmann’s compositional approach is characterized by a continuous search for the appropriate form for each work. This has led to the development of a distinctly personal style, often uniting different–and sometimes opposing–impulses of modern music. Despite the frequent use of complex structures, it remains important to him to communicate directly with the listener and to create an emotional impact.

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‍Since the mid-1980s, Thomas Fortmann lives with his family in Tuscany—except for a five-year stay in Costa Rica around the turn of the millennium. He often realizes projects together with his wife. He is the father of three daughters and has ten grandchildren.

‍In his hometown, he co-founded the Accademia Amiata and the festival Toscana delle Culture. In 2016, he initiated the CLAZZ international Music Festival.

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