Thomas Rüedi was born in 1969 in Oberwil bei Büren near Berne, Switzerland. He began playing the euphonium at the age of 11. From 1991, Rüedi received his professional musical training on this instrument in England, the home of brass music. He studied under, amongst others, Phillip McCann and Peter Parkes at Sheffield University and also devoted his attention to the study of conducting, arranging and composition, areas which have strongly influenced his professional life. During this time, he also performed with many top British brass bands. An important milestone in his career was being awarded first prize in the European Solo Competition for Brass Players in Munich in 1999.

His solo engagements have led Thomas Rüedi all over Europe, to Africa, Asia and the USA. Through this work he is involved with numerous symphony orchestras, wind and brass bands. On his continual search for new tonal spheres Thomas Rüedi formed the duo “Synthesis” in collaboration with the marimbaphone virtuoso Raphael Christen. They convincingly combine the sounds of the two instruments to create something new and complete. The colab CD production “Synthesis” and Thomas Rüedi’s solo CD “Elégie” received international recognition.

Thomas Rüedi is strongly committed to educational work. He is euphonium tutor at Bern University of the Arts and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. As a guest tutor he gives many master classes at colleges in Europe and overseas. As an orchestral musician he plays regularly with the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich and in other renowned symphony orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestraor the Zurich Opera House Orchestra.

He is also a talented conductor and has worked with, amongst other groups, Brass Band Bürgermusik Luzern (A-Band), where he was musical director between 1995 and 2002, and with “Seeland Brass” between 1997 and 2006. As guest conductor he conducted the winning band, Brass Band Berner Oberland, at the “Swiss Open” and “European Open” contests in Lucerne in 2004. Thomas Rüedi has also made a name for himself as arranger and composer. His oeuvre includes over fifty works for wind instruments. His many arrangements of Swiss folksongs have, in particular, are part of the standard brass and wind repertoire.