Elmar Hauser

The Swiss countertenor Elmar Hauser (*1997) is currently studying for his Master’s degree in opera singing at the August Everding Theatre Academy in Munich and in the singing classes of Christiane Iven and Sabine Lahm. As part of the productions at the Theatre Academy, he sang the title role in Handel’s „Ariodante“, Prince Kürtchen in the contemporary children’s opera „Die Gänsemagd“ by Iris ter Schiphorst and the title role of Francesco Cavalli’s opera „Il Giasone“.

Elmar Hauser completed his bachelor’s degree in singing in 2021 with distinction at the Zurich University of the Arts in the class of Werner Güra. Prior to that, he completed preliminary studies at the Winterthur Conservatory with David Thorner and Jane Thorner-Mengedoht, where he made the switch from tenor to countertenor. Master classes with Topi Lehtipuu, Ulrich Messthaler, Nicola Beller Carbone and Kai Wessel accompanied his training. He is a scholarship holder of the Friedl Wald Foundation and a prizewinner of the Johann Adolph Hasse Society in Munich.

In addition to his studies, he has given important performances at the „Diademus Festival für Alte Musik“, at „Liedrezital Zürich“ (together with his Lied duo partner Daniela Baumann) and at the festival „Les Riches Heures du Valère“ in Sion. In 2020/21, Hauser worked on his own artistic projects. These included an interdisciplinary music theatre project on ecological issues with the collective „OTTER OTTER OTTER“, a song programme „Nacht und Träume“ (Night and Dreams) and a specially conceived music theatre production „Händel kurz vor Dienstschluss – Opern im Archivkarton“ in collaboration with the Theater zur Waage Elgg. At this theatre he already embodied his first opera role in 2019 with Orfeo from Ch.W. Gluck’s „Orfeo ed Euridice“.

In February 2023, Elmar Hauser sang the alto part in Bach’s St. John’s Passion under the musical direction of Topi Lehtipuu at the Musiikkitalo concert hall in Helsinki with the Finnish Baroque Orchestra alongside Sandrine Piau.

He will also be seen as Achill in the contemporary opera Achill unter den Mädchen by Wolfgang Andreas Schultz with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester (musical director Olivier Tardy, staging Franziska Severin) at the Prinzregententheater in March 2023.

With the role of Michael in Georg Friedrich Haas‘ opera „Thomas“ (musical direction Max Renne, staging Barbora Horáková), his debut at the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden will follow in June 2023.