Andreas Reize comes from a family shaped by music and church in the Swiss Solothurn. He sang with the boy choir of St. Ursen cathedral which influenced him to become a conductor. Reize has studied church music, organ, piano pedagogy, and harpsichord as well as choir and orchestra conducting throughout Switzerland. Years of study with Johannes Prinz formed his musical development and the pioneer of the original sound movement Nikolaus Harnoncourt was a great influence during Reize’s internships at the Zurich Opera House and the Styriarte Graz, an annual summer festival of classical music.

Reize founded the Cantus Firmus vocal ensemble in 2001 and in 2006 the Cantus Firmus chamber choir. Since 2006 Reize has served as the musical director of the “Waldegg Castle Opera,” presented by Cantus Firmus whose Monteverdi trilogy received major acclaim. Cantus Firmus’ recordings of Le Devin du Village and Apollo e Dafne were produced on CD. In addition, Cantus Firmus was invited to the International Summer Festival for Old Music Innsbruck, the Migros-Club Concerts, the Bach Weeks Amsoldingen and the subscription series of the Bieler Symphonic Orchestra. In 2019 and 2021 Reize directed the theater Biel-Solothurn and produced “Dido and Aeneas” from Henry Purcell and “Zais” from Jean-Phillipe Rameau with great success. Stints as guest conductor led Reize to the Mannheim national theater; Tonhalle-Orchestra Zurich; and the Swiss chamber choir.

In 2007 Reize became director of the boys choir of the St. Ursen Cathedral Solothurn, the oldest and most modern boys choir in Switzerland. Over 14 years, Reize developed his own skills while forging new paths for the choir. They recorded two CDs “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal” and “Sing a Capella!” In addition, Reize led the Zurich Bach choir and the Gabriel Choir of Bern from 2011 to 2021.

Reize joined the Thomanerchor Leipzig in 2021 and is only the 18th Thomas cantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. In the motets and services of Thomas church, Reize performs a Bach cantate weekly with the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhaus orchestra. Reize experiments with varying set ups and casts according to historic precedence. He is responsible for concerts and oratorio performances of the Thomanerchor in addition to the Thomas Church Leipzig at domestic and international festivals. In November 2022 Reize led the Thomanerchor on its first post-pandemic tour abroad in Finland. The Thomanerchor Leipzig performs regularly on television, radio, and has produced several CDs including a recording of traditional Christmas carols. The Thomanerchor recorded the first version of Bach’s Johannes passion BWV 245 from 1724 with the Academy for Old Music Berlin which will be available in 2024. Reize teaches choral conducting at the College for Music and Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Leipzig and will make his debut as conductor of the Leipzig Opera in the 2024- 2025 season.