Music was my first love – a sketch of my life

Rather than moving in a straight line, it is more rewarding to approach life at full speed like a slalom race.  This attitude requires candor and courage,  and that is only possible if you don't play safe.  You have to be prepared to enjoy life and its infinite variety to the utmost.

Photographer and PR representative

Even as an apprentice in the Sixties, Egli was already working as a PR representative whilst training to be a photographer.  Not long after his 20th birthday, he began organizing concerts with bands like Uriah Heep, Electric Light Orchestra and many others.

Hospitality industry

After completing an apprenticeship and 4 years of art college, the recession meant that the range of available jobs was severely limited. Egli made a spontaneous decision to undertake further training in the hospitality industry, started as the Comis at Dancing in Engelberg and ended up as the Chef de Bar at the Hotel Atlantis in Zurich: "A fantastic time to study people and what makes them tick".

From photography to writing

Having returned to his original career as a photographer, he soon began to write.  An interview with Nena led unexpectedly to the position of Chief Editor of the magazine Music Scene. He then went on to work as Chief Editor for a number of magazines in Switzerland.  He globe trotted from China to Mexico as a travel journalist, and his job as a people journalist allowed him to interview and photograph VIPs ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Princess Diana. He was the first Swiss correspondent for the MTV music channel, and moderated numerous radio broadcasts.

Into the theatre

Marco Rima invited Egli to a test run for the musical Keep Cool. A week later Egli became the production manager of the first Swiss musical Keep Cool.  He worked with the support team for the comedian Marco Rima to write musical plays.  He then went on to be the production manager for the Jeff Western Musical Show , and after the show's sensational success in Winterthur, he hired the Musical Theater in Zurich.  Only a year previously he had been working as a program seller for the musical Cats in the same theatre.  Egli has produced the world premiere of the magic show MAG!C in the Space Dream Theatre in Baden, and brought the successful German musical Die Schöne und das Biest [Beauty and the Beast] to Switzerland for the first time.

Management

During his work as a producer, Rolf Egli agreed a number of  contracts with well-known Swiss artists. Egli managed artists ranging from Bonnie Jeanne Taylor  to Suzanne Klee, and from Jeff Turner to Egon Egemann. The singer Gunvor took part in the Eurovision Song Contest that was held in Birmingham, and she was another artist managed by Egli. Her zero score in the competition made headlines throughout Europe.

Musicals and Circus

Egli spent 5 years in charge of the Circus Conelli in Zurich. This romantic Christmas circus is part of national culture in Switzerland.  He then went on to work as media and PR representative for the Esstheater [food theatre] show Clowns & Kalorien [Clowns and Calories].  The Schweizer Musical Nacht [Swiss Musical Night] spent 5 years touring throughout Switzerland. This was a lavish production with the most up-to-date technology, unique arrangements and a large live orchestra, and Egli came up with the concept, put it into practice and directed the show. During the 5th year, Egli was forced to abandon his company and his plan for a small business in Switzerland to produce high quality musicals. Egli worked as Key Account Manager and Head of Sales for the two largest Swiss event technology companies, which also gave him the opportunity to learn the technical and commercial side of the business.  Egli then became Head of Media for the Swiss National Circus KNIE. He spent two seasons touring Switzerland with the Circus Knie, which performed in over 50 towns and cities, and spent 9 months of the year living in a caravan.  In 2006 Egli completed additional training with jobtv in Zurich in the field of video production. This encompassed how to direct videos, how to add a soundtrack and edit them right through to the finished article.
One of the largest European circus companies is returning to Switzerland after 20 years, and they have entrusted their communications and marketing to Rolf Egli.

The future on the island of the endless summer

Someone once said to Egli "You should be at least 200 years old to have done as much as you already have". He sees his fiftieth birthday, which he celebrated in 2006, as the halfway point; watch this space to see what Egli comes up with for part two…
Since 2006 Rolf Egli and his wife live in Maui Hawaii. Maui Swiss Cafe is the name of the new business for theme. A nice little restaurant with internet not far away from beach and harbour.