Born: 1961
Raised in Rome, Switzerland since 1985
Nationality: Swiss
languages: Italian, German, French, English fluently

Training and activities
1976 Private piano lessons with Mauro Cova, a student of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
1978 Began studying composition with Alvin Curran (among others "Musica Elettronica Viva") Longtime member of Mr. Curran's A-Cappella Vocal Improvisation Group with numerous concerts and events.

Painting with exhibits in Switzerland (see www.davidthorner.com)

In 1980 he started private singing lessons with Michiko Hirayama (singer with Giacinto Scelsi and one of the most famous singers of contemporary music in Italy and internationally).

Study of psychology at the Università La Sapienza in Rome

Studied at the "Scuola Popolare di Musica Testaccio" with the Italian composer and singer, Giovanna Marini, and was a soloist on many tours in Italy and France (including Théâtre Bouffes du Nord, Paris; Festival d'Avignon; Conservatorio G.Verdi, Milan). In 1985 he was soloist in Mrs. Marini's vocal quartet as the fifth voice in a song cycle with texts by Pasolini (e.g. Festival d'Automne, Paris).
1984 tour throughout Italy as actor in Martin Scherman's "Bent" with Luca Zingarelli ("Commisario Montalbano").

1985-1990 Vocal studies with Prof. Jane Mengedoht, HMT Zurich and Swiss Opera Studio Biel /Bern.
Diploma Specialized MA Opera with distinction.
Further studies with Prof. Hanno Blaschke, Munich; Jordi Alvareda, Barcelona; Sherill Milnes, NYC and Bonn, Germany.
Engagements in opera (including "Trinity Moses" in "Mahagonny", "Onegin" in "Eugene Onegin", "Germont" in "La Traviata", "Bottom" in "Midsummer Night's Dream", "Music Teacher" in "Ariadne auf Naxos", "Leporello" in "Don Giovanni")

Many engagements as singer and coach and in concerts and installations.

Singing coach for Jane Thorner.

Workshops with Keith Johnstone, the founder of Theatersport.

Workshops with Madame Burga Schwarzbach in Lucerne and Vienna

Since 1997 "Voice Dialogue" lecturer at workshops and intensive courses with Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone in California and Switzerland. Also workshops with Prof. Martha-Lou Wolff in Switzerland. This method is highly appreciated by actors, singers and educators.

Feldenkrais Method in workshops with Franz Wurm and Barbara Z'graggen in Bern and Zurich.

Numerous performances with vocal improvisation in the independent scene of Zurich (including "Roadworks", "All the world is a Stage" with Theater Hora; leading role in Daniel Fueter's opera "Schwingbesen") Improvised concerts with Kornelia Bruggmann, Ernst Thoma, André Deponds, Willy Kotoun and Natalia Sidler.
Performance of many compositions by Kit Powell and the creation of a new composition based on vocal improvisations by David Thorner
Concerts in duo with Natalia Sidler, Colour Grand Piano and Moog Spektrumkonzert ZHdK 2009 with Ensemble Klingenberg, two singers, bassoon, trumpet, saxophone, Moog, prepared piano.

Master classes in vocal and theatrical improvisation at the HfH in Zurich.

Workshop ZHdK with chamber music, improvisation and sport in Massa Marittima in teamteaching with Natalia Sidler.

Since 1996 he has been teaching voice as a main subject for Composition, Sound Engineering, Choir Direction and School Music at the ZHdK in BA and MA. Further opera class, Italian diction, minor in singing, chamber music and improvised lieder duo for singers and instruments and MDGA: basic training in music drama.

2003-2014 Assistant Professor for solo singing ZHdK, BA, MA Pedagogy, MA Performance, Specialized MA and MA Opera, Specialized MA Soloist in 30% rotation with the entire class of Prof. Jane Thorner Mengedoht. In this period there were over 90 diplomas.

2018 MA Liedduo in Teamteaching with Prof. Christoph Berner.

2015-2018 Lecturer "Scenic Work" for singers and "Lied/Chanson/Aria/Recitative" at the ZHdK Pre College.
1996 he started as a lecturer at the Winterthur Conservatory. Over 35 successful admissions to music academies in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the USA as a vocal coach at the PreCollege Winterthur.
From autumn 2020 he will teach "ImproOper and Lied" as part of the PreCollege and the sponsorship programme of the Winterthur Conservatory and the MKZ.

Since 2015 he has been teaching voice at the Kalaidos Musikhochschule.

Many years of successful work as a private vocal coach. Last example: Omer Kobiljak, one of the winners of the Migros Kulturprozent scholarship 2018 and 2019 and first prize in the "Elvirissima" voice competition in Lucerne. After 2 years as a member of the IOS, he is now a permanent member of the Zurich Opera House ensemble.

Since September 2020 he is Guest Lecturer at the Curtis Institute of Music for voice.