Peter Kennel
The countertenor Peter Kennel was born in Lucerne (Switzerland) and studied music education, conducting and singing at the Lucerne Music Academy. Various scholarships enabled him to continue his singing studies in Munich, where he lived for a number of years. This led to tenor buffo and lyric roles in opera productions as well as concert appearances and “Lieder” - recitals in different countries throughout Europe.
It was in 2002 that, on the recommendation one of the most famous Countertenor Andreas Scholl, he switched from tenor to countertenor — and advanced in only a short time to be known as a countertenor much in demand on the international scene. Subsequently, he was invited to numerous festivals including the International Händel Festival in Göttingen and Halle. Similarly, under the baton of Jordi Savall, he sang in Spain and Austria.
For the 2005/6 season, he had been engaged by the Grand Théâtre in Geneva for the world premiere production of the opera “Galileo Galilei” composed by Michael Jarell.
The renowned conductor Thomas Hengelbrock invited him twice to sing in opera productions at the “Schwetzinger Festspiele”. Last autumn Thomas Hengelbrock additionally engaged him as a soloist for a large concert tour to all important concert halls in Germany and to
the concert hall in Vienna.
Worth mentioning are also successes as an opera singer in Lucerne, Vienna and Luxembourg. In spring 2010 Peter Kennel sang the “Creonte” in Agostino Steffani’s opera “Niobe” at the Opera Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon. In the season 10/11 Peter Kennel will sing the Prince Athamas in Handel’s Opera “Semele” as well as the “Geräderte” in the Swiss opening night of Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini’s Opera “Wut”.

With his voluminous, masculine, richly coloured and technically brilliant voice, along with a high musicality, Peter Kennel may be reckoned among the international elite of the countertenors.