Christian Gerhaher

Christian Gerhaher is an Honorary Professor at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts and a leading lieder interpreter and opera singer. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Zurich in 2023 for integrating musical creativity with scholarly precision and linguistic reflection.

• Education: Studied medicine at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and University of Rome La Sapienza (1990–1998), vocal studies at Munich and Berlin Universities of the Arts.

Research & Advocacy: Combines musicology with medical research, specializing in lied and oratorio interpretation. Prominent advocate for composer Othmar Schoeck.

Scientific Honors:

• German Record Critics' Award (multiple times)
• Olivier Award (2011)
• Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (2014)
• Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award (2015)
• Hugo Wolf Medal (2022)
• Bavarian State Prize for Music (2017)
• Robert Schumann Prize (2023)

Role in Zurich: Collaborates with the University of Zurich’s Institute of Musicology, premiered Heinz Holliger’s Lunea and contributed to graduate workshops on song interpretation.