Biography

Swiss conductor Emmanuel Siffert is at the moment Principal Conductor at the San Juan Symphony Orchestra in Argentina, he has been Principal Conductor of the European Chamber Opera, London; Swiss Chamber Orchestra, Aosta Symphony Orchestra, Italy and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador and is appointed as Principal Guest conductor, starting in 2012, for the Wales Concert Orchestra, as well he conducted regulary ballets at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.

Other orchestras which Emmanuel has conducted include the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Welsh National Opera, London Mozart Players, Rundfunksinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Bucharest Philharmonic “George Enesco” Mexico City Philharmonic, Johannesburg Philharmonic, Armenian Philharmonic, Plzen Operahouse Orchestra, Gran Canaria Philharmonic, Spain; Slowenische Philharmonie, Volgograd Philharmonic, Wiener Mozart Orchester, Symphonieorchester St. Gallen, Lutoslawski Philharmonie, Wroclaw; Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano; Berner Symphonieprchester, Rubinstein Philharmony, Lodz; Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Sudwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, Bulgarian Symphony, Aguascalientes Symphony, Michoacán Symphony and Jalapa Symphony in Mexico; Peru National Symphony Orchestra, Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, Montevideo Philharmonic, Uruguay; Cairo Symphony Orchestra.

Emmanuel has a wide discography; has released several recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra, Swiss Chamber Orchestra, and Aosta Symphony. His radio recordings include Rundfunksinfonieorchester Saarbrücken (live), Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (live and studio recordings) and the Swiss Chamber Orchestra (live).

Currently he works as a conductor of music for orchestra, opera and ballet, and gives conducting seminars and opera courses for singers.

Emmanuel Siffert was assistant conductor at the St. Gallen Opera under John Neschling until 1997; in 1995 he acted in this capacity at the Opera Festival Avenches; in 1998 at the Grand Théâtre de Genève under Armin Jordan; in 2001 at the Teatro Lirico Di Cagliari under Rafael Frübeck de Burgos; and in 2001-2002 under Gerard Korsten. He was also assistant for “The Merry Widow” at the Lyon Opera house. Further opera work included work with “Opera Valle” in Italy since 2002, as well as the Nuremberg Opera, the Moldavian Opera in Chisinau.

He conducted two seasons for the English National Ballet (2003/4 and 2004/5). He also started working from 2011 with the Royal Ballet Covent Garden.

Furthermore, he is also involved as a teacher of conducting and gives seminars in Europe and Latin America and classes in opera scenes for singers in various summer academies. A number of special projects Emmanuel is involved in include rare Italian symphonies from the 18th century (preparing orchestral parts), and the recording of orchestral and operatic works of Swiss composers in collaboration with VDE-GALLO. He is also the creator of the Online Conducting method www.approachtoconducting.com

Emmanuel won the conducting prize at the “Schweizerischen Tonkünstlenverein” in 1993 and again in 1995. He studied conducting under Horst Stein, Ralf Weikert, Joma Panula and Carlo Maria Giulini. Studied violin in Salzburg under Prof. Sandor Végh and performed as a violinist with the Camerata Academia Salzburg from 1989 to 1994.

Current Position/Aktuelle Stelle/Place actuelle/Puesto actual
Orquesta Sinfonica San Juan – Argentina (Principal Conductor and Artistic Director)

Regular collaborations/regelmässige Kollaboration/Collaboration regulière/Attività regolare/Actividad regular    
Teaching-activities of Conducting in different Masterclasses in Latin America, UK and Russia
Teacher for Opera-repertoire ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte – Teatro Colon –Buenos Aires)

Past Positions/ Vorige Stellen/Places antérieures/Puestos anteriores
Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuador (Principal Conductor 2007-2009)
European Chamber Opera – London (Principal Conductor 1998-2007)
Orchestra Sinfonica Aosta – Italy (Principal Conductor 2000-2009)
Swiss Chamber Orchestra (Principal Conductor 2000 – 2010)
Wales Concert Orchestra (Principal Guest Conductor 2012 - 2015)
Guest Conductor for the Ballet – Teatro Colón – Buenos Aires (2013-2017)
Wales International Academy of Voice - Saturday Academy - Music-Director (2011 - 2015)
Free Opera Company – Zurich – Switzerland Resident-Conductor (2013 - 2018)

Born/Geboren/Né/Nato/Nacimiento: Fribourg, CH (01.11.1967)
Nationality/Nationalität/Nationalité/Nazionalità/Nacionalidad:
Switzerland/Schweiz/ Suisse/Svizzera/Suiza

Musical studies/Studien/Etudes/Studi/Estudios
Violin: Basel, Salzburg (Prof. SandorVégh)
Conducting : Horst Stein, Ralf Weikert, Jorma Panula (Helsinki), Carlo Maria Giulini (Milano)

Prizes/Preise/Prix/Premi/Premios 
1993/95: Conducting-Prize „Schweizerischen Tonkünstlerverein“

Musical studies/Studien/Etudes/Studi/Estudios
Violin: Basel, Salzburg (Prof. Sandor Végh)
Conducting : Horst Stein, Ralf Weikert,Jorma Panula (Helsinki), Carlo Maria Giulini (Milano)

Violin career/Violinkarriere/Carrière come violoniste/Carrera como violonista
1990 - 1994 Violinist Camerata Academica Salzburg

Assistant-conductor / Assistenzen/ Chef assistant/ Director Asistente
St.-Gallen Opera – John Neschling (1995 – 1997)
Opera Festival Avenches (1995)
Grand Théâtre de Genève – Armin Jordan (1998)
Teatro Lirico di Cagliari – Rafael Frübeck de Burgos/ Gérard Korsten (2001,2002)
Opéra de Lyon – Gérard Korsten (2006)

Languages/Sprachen/Langues/Lingue parlate/Idiomas
German, French, Italian, English, Spanish

Guest Operahouses / Operngastdirigate / Maisons d’Opéra/Teatri/Casas de ópera
Staedtische Bühnen Nürnberg (2002,2003)
Moldavian National Opera Chisinau (2002,2005,2006)
Teatro Sucre - Quito (Ecuador) (2008)
Teatro Municipal – Lima (Peru) (2010,2011,2013)
Opera Volgograd - (Russia) (2012, 2013,2014)
Free Opera Company – (Zürich) (2013-2017)
Opera-Festival La Perla – (Zürich) (2013)
ISA – Instituto Superior de Arte – Teatro Colon – Buenos Aires (2015,2016)s

Ballet
English National Ballet – London (2002,2003)
Royal Ballet Covent Garden – London (2011,2012)
Ballet Theater St.-Gallen (1997)
Ballet Volgograd - (Russia) (2012,2013)
Ballet Teatro Colon – Buenos Aires (2013-2017)
Ballet San Juan – (Argentina) (2017,2018)

CD
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – London (2006, 2011, 2017)
Orchestre de l’Haute Ecole de Musique – Lausanne (2016)
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (2005)
National Symphony Orchestra of South-Africa (2000)
Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra (2005,2006,2007)
Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra (2005)
Swiss Chamber Orchestra (2001,2003, 2009)
Orchestra Sinfonica Aosta (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006)
Orchestra La Consorterie (1997)
Orchestre de Chambre de Fribourg (1994)
Swiss Youth Chamber Orchestra (1997)

Radio - recordings (live)
Rundfunksinfonieorchester Saarbrücken (2002)
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana (2001)

Special projects
Orchestral - works by Swiss-Composers (recording and musical-edition – project in collaboration with the label VDE-GALLO and the Music-Department of the University in Lausanne)

Teaching-activity
Seminars and Masterclasses for Conducting
(Guayaquil, Quito, Porthcawl-Wales, Volgograd
Buenos Aires – Universidad Cattolica (UCA)
Universidad Nacional San Juan - Argentina)
Royal College of Music (RCM) – London
China Conservatory of Music – Beijing
Teacher for Opera-Repertoire
Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires
Coach for Opera-Ensemble in different International Summer Opera-Courses

Online book about Conducting www.approachtoconducting.com 

Conducted Orchestras (professional contracts)/ Dirigierte Orchester/ Orchestres dirigées/ Orchestre dirette/ Orquestas dirigidas
Philharmonia Orchestra - London
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - London
Orchestra of the English National Ballet
London Mozart Players
Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra
National Symphony Orchestra of South-Africa
Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
Armenien Philharmonic Orchestra
Plzen Opera-Orchestra

Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria
Slowenische Philharmonie
Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra
Wiener Mozartorchester
Symphonieorchester St.-Gallen

Lutoslawski-Philharmonie Wroclaw
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana – Lugano
Berner Symphonieorchester
Ensemble 2e2m – Paris
Academia Stefano Tempia - Torino

Chamber Orchestra Durres - Albania
Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra “George Enescu”
Nordböhmische Philharmonie Teplice
Basler Kammerorchester
Swiss Chamber Orchestra

Sudecka Philharmonie
Rubinstein Philharmony – Lodz
Orchestra Sinfonica Aosta
Dohnanyi Erno Symphony Orchestra Budapest
Orchestra of European Chamber Opera

Nürnberger Philharmoniker
Orchestra del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
European Union Chamber Orchestra
Orchestra of the National Opera of Chisinau
Mozarteumorchester Salzburg

Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz
Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Cairo Symphony Orchestra
Moldavian Radio-and Television-Orchestra
KwaZuluNatal Philharmonic Orchestra – Durban – Southafrica

Ecuador National Symphonic Orchestra
Loja Symphony Orchestra (Ecuador)
Orquesta Sinfonica Uncuyo – Mendoza (Argentinia)
Orquesta Sinfonica Aguascalientes (México
Rundfunksinfonieorchester Saarbrücken

Cuenca Symphony Orchestra (Ecuador)
Orquesta Cuidad de Lima (Perú)
Orquesta Sinfonica de Michoacan (México)
Welsh Concert Orchestra
Orchestre de Chambre Fribourgois

Yaquina Chamber Orchestra – Oregon – USA
Montevideo Philharmonic (Uruguay)
Asti Filarmonica (Italy)
Perú National Symphony Orchestra
Orquesta Sinfonica de Venezuela

Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa (México)
Prag Concert Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchestra of the Opera Volgograd
Orquesta Sinfonica de Radio Filarmonia – Lima (Perú)
Orquesta Sinfonica de Rosario (Argentina)

Chamber Orchestra CHAARTS (Zürich)
Orquesta Sinfonica di San Juan (Argentina)
Musikkollegium Winterthur
Orquesta Sinfonica Concepcion – Chile
Orquesta Sinfonica de Salta – Argentina

Sinfonisches Orchester Zürich
Fundacion Orquesta Sinfonica de Bogota
Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional Argentina
Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires
Philharmonic Orchestra Minas Gerais –Belo Horizonte

Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra – Beirut
China National Symphony Orchestra – Beijing
Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colon – Buenos Aires
Guayacuil Symphony Orchestra – Ecuador
Orquesta Sinfonica de la Provincia de Rio Negro – Argentina

Orquesta Sinfonica de Santa Fe – Argentina
Ho Chi Minh City Ballet and Opera Orchestra (Vietnam)
Orquesta Filarmonica de Chile
Izmir State Symphony Orchestra (Turkey)
Colombia National Symphony Orchestra

Orquesta Filarmonica de Mendoza (Argentina)
Cuba National Symphony Orchestra
Orquesta De Cámera de Chile
Arequipa Symphony Orchestra - Peru
Bahia Blanca Symphony Orchestra - Argentina

Paraguay National Symphonic Orchestra

Youth Orchestras/Jugendorchester/Jeunes Orchestres/Orchestras Giovaniles/Orquestas Juveniles

Orchestre du Conservatoire de Gennevilliers
Landesjugend-Sinfonieorchester des Saarlandes
Orchestra of de Volgograd Music-Academy (Russia)
Orquesta Filarmonica Juvenil de Guayaquil (Ecuador)
Chamber Orchestra "La Consorterie" - Aosta
National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Uruguay Sinfonia por el Peru - Lima
Orchestra of the Royal College of Music (London)
Orchestre de l’HEMU (Haute Ecole de Musique) – Lausanne (Switzerland)
Orquesta Sinfonica Universidad Autonoma Aguascalientes (Mexico)