artistic director

Claudio Danuser grew up as a descendant of a Pontresina family in India, Basel and Bern, but kept his connection to the Engadin through his grandparents. He studied musicology and choral conducting at the University and Conservatory in Bern and opera singing in Italy, where he made his debut as an opera singer at the 1986 Montepulciano Festival. In the 1987/88 season he was a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zurich Opera House and from then on pursued an international career as a singer. In Graubünden he is known as the singer of the title roles in the two Rhaeto-Romanic operas "Il President da Valdei" by Robert Grossmann (Scuntrada 1988 in Scuol) and "Il semiader" by Gion Antoni Derungs (Stadttheater Chur 1996) as well as a member of the vocal ensemble "Ils Trais Baritons Grischuns". In 2005 he was a soloist in the "Lucrezia Borgia" production of the Opera St. Moritz at Badrutt's Palace.

Assuming the direction of the concert choir Richterswil (2002) and Swissair Voices (2003) Claudio has devoted himself increasingly to conducting. In 2013 he was choir director of the La Perla Festival, which performed Verdi's Aida on the Seebühne Pfäffikon/ZH. In 2018 he founded the Belcantochor Männedorf-Uetikon and in 2019 the opera choir Opernchor Cantalopera. He is conductor of the orchestra of the Gymnasium Rämibühl in Zurich and guest conductor of the Zurich Symphony Orchestra. From 1988 to 2018 he was also a musicologist with Migros Culture Percentage. From 2001-2003 he completed postgraduate studies in cultural management at the University of Basel.