Fritz Näf

Fritz Näf (born October 24, 1943 in Weiach ) is a Swiss conductor .

biography

education

After completing compulsory schooling, Fritz Näf attended the teachers' seminar in Schiers , Graubünden, from 1958 to 1963 . Between 1964 and 1969 he studied solo singing at the music academies in Zurich and Basel with Sylvia Gähwiller (1909–1999). 1964 to 1965 he trained as a teacher for early musical education and basic courses. Between 1969 and 1973 he obtained the concert diploma (examination of artistic maturity) at the State University of Music in Freiburg im Breisgau from Professor Brigitte Münz . This was followed by master classes with Ernst Haefliger in Zurich (1970 and 1971), with Jennie Tourel in New York (1971/1972) and with Kurt Equiluz in Stuttgart (1979). From 1974 to 1979 he continued his education with Kurt Huber in Winterthur. Between 1977 and 1980 he studied choral conducting and from 1979 orchestral conducting with the composer and conductor Erich Schmid .

Teaching and administrative work

After a short career as a primary school teacher, he taught between as a teacher for basic musical courses (1964–1969), as a teacher for solo singing at the teacher training college in Liestal (1973–1976) and from the same year as an SMPV teacher (vocational training). He taught solo singing and vocal ensemble both at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (1976–1986) and at the Winterthur Music School and Conservatory (1986–2000). From June 1969 to 1978 he took over the construction and management of the youth music school Reinach (BL).

Later (1976–1986) he was the head of the training "Teacher for early musical education and basic courses" at the Music Academy of the City of Basel . From 1976 to 1986 he directed the "Basic Musical Courses" at the schools in the city of Basel. From 1977 to 1978 he was director of the "Funkkolleg Musik" for Switzerland. From 1986 to 2000 he was first director of the "Musikschule und Konservatorium Winterthur" (music college), then became rector of the newly founded University of Music and Theater Zurich (HMT). From 1991 to 2000 he chaired the KDSK (Conference of Directors of the Swiss Conservatories and Music Colleges) and from 1988 to 1992 he was on the board of the Othmar Schoeck Society. Since April 2004 he has been President of the Willy Burkhard Society.

Artistic activity

He has been a singer in Switzerland since 1961 and as a concert and opera singer throughout Europe from 1969. Around 1970 Näf was a member of the "Ricercare" ensemble founded in 1964 by the oboist Michel Piguet (1932–2004). This ensemble made music consistently according to the knowledge of historical performance practice. In the following years Näf worked as a singer with Hans-Martin Linde , very intensively with the cantor of the Dresden Kreuzkirche Martin Flämig , but also with Paul Sacher . As an opera singer, he worked in collaboration with the "Aargauer Opern Bühne" (1969/1970) in Zar und Zimmermann (1837) by Albert Lortzing and other productions. For several years he was a member of the Coro della Radio Svizzera Italiana in Lugano , directed by Edwin Löhrer (1906–1991) . In the following years, Näf also worked with Beat Raaflaub (Basel), Klaus Knall (Zurich), Étienne Krähenbühl (Basel), André Charlet (Lausanne), Helmuth Rilling (Stuttgart), Ulrich Bremsteller (Berlin), Räto Tschupp (Zurich), Jakob Kobelt (Zurich), August Wenzinger (Basel), Serge Commissione (Gothenburg), Paul Colleaux (Nantes), Willi Gohl (Winterthur) and Michel Corboz (Lausanne).

In 1978, after teaching at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, he founded the professional vocal ensemble of Basler Madrigalisten . In 1997 the Swiss Chamber Choir was founded in collaboration with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich . Since December 2000, Näf has been the full-time artistic director of the Swiss Chamber Choir and the Basel Madrigalists. He was a guest conductor with various choirs and orchestras in Germany and abroad, for example with the "Radio della Svizzera Italiana Lugano", Orchestra of the Musikkollegium Winterthur , Concerto Cologne and L'arpa festante "Munich, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich ," Chamber Orchestra Kiev "and" Chernivts Philharmonic Orchestra ". At the invitation of Kurt Masur , he has been guest conductor of the" Choeur de Radio France "since 2000. Numerous radio and television productions as well as CD recordings document Fritz Näf's work over the past 30 years.

literature

Lukas Näf (Ed.): Ars vocalis. 25 years of Basel madrigalists . Florian Noetzel Verlag, Wilhelmshaven 2003, ISBN 3-7959-0830-2 .
Lukas Näf: Paul Sacher and the Basel madrigalists. In: Matthias Kassel (ed.): Paul Sacher on his 100th birthday. Publication accompanying the homage concerts in Basel April – May 2006. Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel 2006, pp. 62–65.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Näf, Fritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swiss conductor
DATE OF BIRTH	October 24, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH	Weiach