Ernst Hess (13 May 1912 in Schaffhausen – 2 November 1968 in Egg) was a Swiss conductor, composer and musicologist.
Hess studied at the conservatory of Zurich from 1932 and 1934, and then at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, with Paul Dukas and Nadia Boulanger among others. From 1935 he worked in Switzerland as conductor of several choirs and orchestras. In 1938 he was appointed lecturer of music theory at the conservatory of Winterthur. From 1956 he taught musicology at the University of Zurich.
As a composer, he wrote mostly sacred and secular choral music, namely the oratorio Jeremia. He was awarded the composition prize of the Conrad-Ferdinand-Meyer-Stiftung in 1947. In 1966 he received the Hans-Georg-Nägeli-Medaille of Zurich. Hess died in Egg.
Suite for guitar solo (1935); Hug G.H. 11468Suite for viola solo, Op. 14 (1936)Concerto for viola, cello and chamber orchestra, Op. 20Sinfonia academia (Kleine Sinfonia), Op. 22Concerto for horn and chamber orchestra, Op. 24Concerto for violin and orchestra, Op. 27Kleine Musik for basset horn, violin, viola and cello, Op. 29b; Amadeus Verlag BP 543Sinfonia concertante for violin, piano and orchestra, Op. 55Unter Dach und Himmel, three poems by Werner Weber for men's chorus (TTBB), alto solo and piano, Op. 56; Hug G.H. 10624Capriccio for Trombone and piano, Op. 57; Helbling Best.-Nr. 10231Concerto da camera for cello and chamber orchestra, Op. 63Wenn im Unendlichen after Johann Wolfgang Goethe for mixed choir a cappella; Hug G.H. 10904Schweizergebet on a text by Rudolf Hägni for mixed choir and organ ad lib (Hug G.H. 9319)Zeitgenössische Orgelmusik im Gottesdienst (contemporary music in the church service); Edition Eulenburg