Robert Selitrenny was born in Geneva. He studied violin at the Conservatoires of Nuremberg, Milan and Geneva with Maestros Horwath, Michelangelo Abbado and Corrado Romano.

He obtained a brilliant diploma of orchestra conducting in Bern. His teachers include Maestros Sylvia Caduff, Karl Münchinger, Franco Ferrara who considered him one of his favorite disciples and Roberto Benzi whom he assisted for several years. He also benefited from the advise of I. Markevitch, W. Sawallisch, C. Eschenbach, J. Bělohlávek and A. Wit.

He graduated at the first competition of Ernest Ansermet in Geneva as well as at the International Competition organized by the Tonhalle Gesellschaft in Zürich. Subsequently he was hired by this society and obtained an engagement as the assistant of Maestro Christoph Eschenbach.  

For many years he was the Artistic Director of a vocal and instrumental group in the Romandie. Driven by his constant humanistic research, he founded the Association named  Orchestre International de Chambre de Genève with the purpose of helping young talented instrumentalists and composers.

During the last years Robert Sélitrenny conducted important European orchestras including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Tonhalleorchester Zürich, Orchestre Bordeaux-Aquitaine, Orchestra Alessandro Scarlatti of Naples, Philharmonic Orchestras of Sofia & Poznàn, Symphonic Orchestra of the Croatian Radio & TV of Zagreb a.o.

As former teacher at the Geneva Conservatoire Robert Sélitrenny is regularly requested as a jury member or president of many international music competitions.

From his formation as violinist he oriented his career mainly towards a symphonic repertory without neglecting the opera. He can be considered as an expert of Beethoven and Mozart, so he is regularly invited to give conferences on those and other composers like F. Liszt but on other subjects as well like “Woman, Music & Society”).