The Swiss bass, Michael Leibundgut, initially studied choral conducting with Hans-Martin Linde at the Musik-Akademie in Basle. After his first singing lessons with Elisabeth Zinniker in Switzerland he studied singing with Stefan Haselhoff in Mannheim, and Yvonne Prinz in Vienna. He attended master-classes with Margreet Honig in Amsterdam, Mikael Eliasen in Philadelphia and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Samuel Ramey and Peter Konwitschny. In 1997 and 1999 he received a grant from the Aargauer Kuratorium.
Michael Leibundgut was a member of the Internationale Opernstudio of the Zürich Opera House during the season 2000-2001. Opera engagements took him to the Luzerner Theater, to the Young Opera Company in Freiburg and to the Salzburg Festival 2000, where he sang the role of Oberlin in Wolfgang Rihm’s chamber opera Jakob Lenz. He sang numerous premieres of contemporary works, above all in the area of music theatre. He is a member of the ensemble of the Theater St. Gallen and also works a song and concert recitalist in the areas of as oratorio and contemporary music.
The CD "Hesperos" with works of Swiss composers, which was published last year, was selected by the British Internet magazine MusicWeb to "CD of the month". |