Matthias Bamert is a Swiss conductor and composer.
In addition to studies in Switzerland, Bamert studied music in Darmstadt and in Paris, with Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and their influences can be detected in his own compositions from the 1970s. He spent the years 1965 to 1969 as principal oboist with the Salzburg Mozart Orchestra, but then switched to conducting.
Bamert's conducting career began in North America as an apprentice to George Szell and later as assistant conductor to Leopold Stokowski, and resident conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel. He was music director of the Swiss Radio Orchestra from 1977 to 1983.
Bamert was principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and director of the Glasgow contemporary music festival Musica Nova from 1985 to 1990. He has conducted the world premieres of works by composers such as Toru Takemitsu, John Casken, James MacMillan and Wolfgang Rihm. He was director of the Lucerne Festival from 1992 to 1998. During his Lucerne tenure, a new concert hall was opened, and programme expansions included establishment of a new Easter Festival and a piano festival.