Concept & Idea

The Concours Suisse Ernst Haefliger is the first-ever singing competition for young opera singers in Switzerland. A country in the heart of Europe with eight major opera houses needs to support the young up-and-coming generation of opera singers. At the same time, this competition provides a platform for young opera singers in Switzerland to launch their career. The Swiss Federal Office of Culture and the canton of Bern, aware of the importance of this project, have offered their generous financial support to realise the Concours Suisse Ernst Haefliger. The idea and concept came from Dr. Aviel Cahn, opera director at the KonzertTheaterBern.

The competition is organised as a co-production between the KonzertTheaterBern and the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, both of which rank among the most prestigious cultural institutions of the canton of Bern. The preliminary rounds of the competition will be held during the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad and the final concert in the KonzertTheaterBern with the Berner Symphony Orchestra.

The competition is dedicated to the legendary Swiss tenor ERNST HAEFLIGER. Ernst Haefliger, leading lyric tenor of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and later professor for singing at Munich Hochschule für Musik, was renowned throughout the world with his master classes for singing. His book "Die Kunst des Gesangs" was published by Schott Verlag, Mainz, Germany.