Interview with Chelsea Zurflüh
«I love to have freedom when singing Da Capo”
Two years ago, Chelsea Zurflüh won the renowned 78th Concours de Genève 2024. Since then, the career of the 30-year-old Swiss soprano with roots in the Seychelles has continued to gain momentum: In the revival of Massenet’s “Werther” at Zurich Opera House (opening on 14 June 2026), Zurflüh will sing the role of Sophie. In Klosters, the singer will be performing on 7 August in the concert “Händel’s Heroines”.
The motto of Klosters Music is “Icons”. What are icons or iconic works of music for you?
For me, these are truly extraordinary works that are still performed regularly today and continue to move audiences time and again. Operas like “The Magic Flute” or “La Traviata”, Mozart and Fauré’s Requiems, Bach’s Passions and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
As well as a virtuoso aria by Carl Heinrich Graun, you will be singing several arias by Georg Friedrich Händel in the concert conducted by Maurice Steger. What do you like about this music?
I came across Händel’s music as a student – his coloraturas, but also the intimate moments, fascinated me so much that I started straight away to search for more of his compositions. That is how I found the da capo arias of Cleopatra in “Giulio Cesare” and those of Morgana in “Alcina”. I love having the freedom of the da capo to add a new touch to the piece through ornamentation, drawing on my own emotions.
What do you associate with Klosters and the Grisons mountains?
I don’t know Klosters yet and I am really looking forward to finally getting to know the town and the festival. A long time ago, I went for wonderful hike in the Grisons mountains, to Lake Cresta. If I had a little more time, I would come more often to go walking in the Grisons mountains.