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Immediately after graduating with distinction, the bass-baritone received a scholarship from the Bayreuth Festival in the summer of 2015. A busy concert schedule as a soloist (The Creation, St Matthew and St John Passion) as well as song and aria recitals took him to, among other places, Baden-Baden, České Budějovice (Budweis) in the Czech Republic, and Bangalore in India.

Reto Knöpfel made his debut with the South West German Philharmonic Orchestra of Constance in the oratorio The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins. Further highlights followed, including performances at the Tonhalle Zurich and the Federal Palace in Bern. The singer maintains a long-standing collaboration with the Zurich Lake Concert Choir under conductor Martin Messmer. With them, Reto Knöpfel has sung the bass parts in works such as Vivaldi’s Dixit Dominus, Franz Xaver Richter’s Kempten Te Deum, and Joseph Haydn’s Creation Mass.

Together with soprano Leticia Kahraman and pianist Andrea Wiesli, Reto Knöpfel regularly presents staged duet evenings. In addition to more serious repertoire, he has a great fondness for the songs and chansons of the 1920s and 1930s, in which his affinity for the German language and his musicality are especially evident. 

As a dedicated vocal coach, Reto Knöpfel guides both young people and adults in their vocal development and supports them in building confident performance skills. His teaching combines technical precision with a refined sense for expression and individuality. 

Reto Knöpfel is the initiator of the “Salon Musical” concert series at Arenenberg Castle. He is also a scholarship holder of the Elsy Meyer Foundation and the Lyra Foundation in Zurich. Reto Knöpfel heads the Department of Music and Culture at the Cantonal School of Trogen (AR) and works as curator of the Vinorama in Ermatingen (TG).