*3 Sep 1931 Basel

After finishing school Rudolf Kelterborn trained at the Music Academy of Basel, where he graduated as a director of music under the tutelage of Alexander Krannhals as well as becoming a teacher of music (Gustav Güldenstein, Walter Muller von Kulm, composition Walther Geiser). His studies continued with the composers Willy Burkhard, Günter Bialas, Boris Blacher and Wolfgang Fortner, as well as with the conductor Igor Markevitch.

Kelterborn worked as a lecturer in music theory, analysis and composition at various Swiss and German music colleges: - Music Academy of Basel (1956-60 and 1983-96) 
- Detmold (1960-68, 1963 appointment as professor) 
- Zurich (1968-75 and 1980-83) and Karlsruhe (1980-83) 
- Chief Editor of the ‘Schweizerischen Musikzeitung’ (1969-74) 
- Director of Music at the Academy of Basel (1983-94) 
- He also was the director of the music department at the German and Rhaeto Romanic Radio station in Switzerland (1974-80)

Together with Heinz Holliger and Jürg Wyttenbach in 1987, he founded in the Basel Music Forum, and was responsible for its programs until 1997.

Until the mid-nineties Kelterborn also worked as a guest conductor, primarily as a performer of his own works. He has published numerous analytical and music essays, as well as books and was often invited as a guest lecturer to England, USA, Japan, China and various Eastern European countries. Rudolf Kelterborn's compositional output includes all musical genres and has won numerous awards (including the Swiss Association of Musicians’s Composer's prize, the city of Basel’s Art Award, the German Industry’s Bernhard Sprengel prize, the Conrad Ferdinand Meyer prize, and the Zurich radio prize). His works are published by Bärenreiter Verlag, from Bote & Bock / Boosey & Hawkes and by Ricordi Berlin.

Rudolf Kelterborn lives in Basel.