Fritz Näf (Conductor)

Born: October 24, 1943 - Weiach, Switzerland

The Swiss conductor, Fritz Näf, studied voice at the conservatories in Zurich and Freiburg i. Brsg. and attended master-classes, among others, given by Jennie Tourel (New York) and Ernst Haefliger (Munich).

Fritz Näf performed as tenor throughout Europe and later continued his studies to become a choral and orchestra conductor. From 1976 to 1986 he taught voice and vocal ensemble at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where he founded the Basler Madrigalisten in 1978. Between 1986 and 2000 he was, successively, director of the Conservatory (Musikhochschule) in Winterthur and then headmaster of the newly established Zürich Conservatory of Music and Drama (Hochschule Musik und Theater Zürich).

In 1997, in collaboration with the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zürich, Fritz Näf founded the Swiss Chamber Choir. Since December 2000 he has been full-time artistic director of the Swiss Chamber Choir and the Basler Madrigalisten and has been guest conductor of, among others, Radio della Svizzera Italiana Lugano, Chœur de Radio France, Orchestra of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Baroque orchestras such as the Concerto Köln and L’arpa festante Munich, Tonhalle Orchestra of Zürich, Chamber Orchestra of Kiev and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Tschernivzi.

Source: Basler Madrigalisten Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2008)

Fritz Näf: Short Biography | Basler Madrigalisten | Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Fritz Näf; Dirigent; Basler Madrigalisten; Schweizer Kammerchor (Official Website) [German]
Fritz Näf (Wikipedia) [German]

Website Basler Madrigalisten und Schweizer Kammerchor [German/English French]