Christian Erny
Swiss conductor Christian Erny is recognised for his stylistic versatility and imaginative programming. Equally at home in the symphonic and vocal repertoire, he is establishing an increasingly international career.
As founder and Artistic Director of the Zurich Chamber Singers, Erny has developed one of Switzerland’s leading professional vocal ensembles. In 2022, Concerti described the ensemble as «a rising star on the international choral scene», while Pizzicato praised Erny in 2025 as the «perfect servant of the music» for his recording of Mozart with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen.
In 2026, Erny is part of the Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellowship at the Orchestras of the Americas Academy. Recent highlights include his debut with the Argovia Philharmonic in a tour featuring Mozart’s Requiem and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, as well as his debut with the Musikkollegium Winterthur, conducting the world premiere of Alfred Felder’s opera Walpurgisnacht. He also conducted the world premiere, tour, and first recording of Paul Mealor’s chamber choral opera The Light of Paradise for vocal ensemble and saxophone quartet. The recording was shortlisted for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik in January 2025. One month later, his Mozart recording with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen received a second nomination.
During the 2026/27 season, Erny continues his collaboration with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen and makes his debut with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra. With the Zurich Chamber Singers, he appears at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Sendesaal Bremen, Seetal Classics, Kloster Fischingen, and Burghof Lörrach, while conducting the world premieres of new works by David Philip Hefti and Dieter Jordi.
Recent conducting engagements include the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Mannheim, Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn, CHAARTS Chamber Artists, the Morphing Chamber Orchestra, and the Orchestra of Europe. As part of his education, he has worked with the Bavarian Radio Chorus, the Sofia Philharmonic, the Ruse Philharmonic, and the Junge Philharmonie Zentralschweiz. He made his operatic debut in 2019 as Assistant Conductor at Luzerner Theater.
Erny’s repertoire ranges from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary opera. His principal artistic interests include the great choral-orchestral repertoire, contemporary music, and the Viennese Classical tradition, with a particular affinity for Mozart. He has conducted more than ten world premieres and collaborated with composers including Caroline Shaw, Paul Mealor, Burkhard Kinzler, Alfred Felder, David Philip Hefti, Dieter Jordi, Patrick Brennan, Rhiannon Randle, and Kevin Hartnett. His discography now comprises more than ten recordings on labels including Berlin Classics, Ars Produktion, Aparté, and Solo Musica.
Christian Erny’s musical background is unusually diverse. As a child, he played several instruments, received his early musical education as a chorister at the Conservatory of Winterthur, and at the same time was the singer and songwriter of a punk rock band. He studied piano, conducting, and music theory at the Zurich University of the Arts, the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Art.
He first established himself as a pianist. His recordings of Debussy, Liszt, and Lourié received distinctions including the Gramophone Editor’s Choice and a nomination for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. A prizewinner of the International Piano Competition Île-de-France, he has performed in Europe as well as in the United States and South America. His broad musical interests, imagination, and artistic curiosity ultimately led him to devote himself entirely to conducting.
In 2019, Erny received the Winterthur Cultural Award for Emerging Artists. Since 2020, he has been a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). He has also taught at the Scala Arts Concerto Camp in Vienna, the Renaissance Arts Academy in Los Angeles, and the Collegio Suizo in Santiago de Chile.
A passionate writer and communicator, Erny curates the monthly newsletter Musica Veneris, in which he explores a wide range of musical topics for a large and dedicated readership.
Away from music, he is an enthusiastic amateur cook and enjoys photography, classic menswear, and contemporary art. He lives in Winterthur, Switzerland.