Franz Schaffner (Conductor, Organ, Harpsichord)

Born: Locarno, Canton of Ticino, Switzerland

The Swiss conductor, organist, harpsichordist and church musician, Franz Schaffner, was born in Locarno and raised in Lucerne. After graduation, he studied conducting, organ and piano at the Konservatorium and the Akademie für Schul- und Kirchenmusik in Lucerne. Afterwards further studies led him to Zürich, Basel and Frankfurt, where he completed his training for the concert conducting with Helmuth Rilling.

Franz Schaffner had various activities as a church musician in Winterthur in Ebikon. From 1984 to 1988, he served as accompanist and conductor at the Luzerner Theater. Since 1988 he directs the Blasorchester Stadtmusik Luzern. Since that time he has also taught conducting at the Konservatorium Luzern. Today he is director of the Bach-Ensemble Luzern (from 1980) and the Luzerner Festwochenchor. He is organist at the Johanneskirche Luzern, organist of the Franziskanerkirche Luzern and maintains a busy concert career both as conductor and as organist and harpsichordist. CD releases include J.S. Bach's Flute Sonatas and the Goldberg Variations (BWV 988). He has appeared at various festivals with Claudio Abbado, Charles Dutoit, Ingo Metzmacher and Franz Welser-Möst

Source: Bach-Ensemble Luzern, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2009)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2009)

Franz Schaffner: Short Biography | Bach-Ensemble Luzern | Recordings of Vocal Works | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Bach-Ensemble Luzern (Official Website) [German]