Johannes Schlaefli is currently serving as “artistic director” of the National Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra and of “Alumni-Symphony-Orchestra Zürich”. He acts as Principal Guest Professor for the Conducting Class at the Music University of Frankfurt.

As one of the most highly sought after conducting teachers, Schlaefli is in demand throughout the world and was invited by institutions such as the Sibelius Academy Helinski, the Juilliard-School New York, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Music Universities of Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Manchester, Copenhagen, and Paris. He also serves as “head of teaching” at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Conducting Academy, and works together with the prestigious “Dirigentenforum” in Germany as well as with the Norwegian “Dirigentloftet” in Oslo.

Johannes Schlaefli was the co-founder of Basel Chamber Orchestra in 1984. From 1995-2013 he was chief conductor of Bern Chamber Orchestra before leading the Mannheim chamber orchestra as chief conductor from 2013-2019. Since 2018 he was chief conductor of the symphony orchestra “Collegium Musicum Basel” and ended his tenure in summer 2024. As a guest conductor, he has performed with many orchestras worldwide.

Videos – Johannes Schlaefli