Bavarian Radio Choir

Bavarian Radio Choir
Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) · Public domain · source
Name	Bavarian Radio Choir
Native name	Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Origin	Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Founded	1946
Genre	Choral music, Classical music, Contemporary music
Members	professional mixed choir
Chief conductor	Kirill Petrenko (artistic association noted), currently directed by Tobias Hiller (artistic detail varies)
Notable past	Günther Müller, Herbert von Karajan, Kurt Eichhorn, Ulf Schirmer, Ivor Bolton, Christopher Hogwood
Affiliated	Bayerischer Rundfunk, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Bavarian Radio Choir is a professional mixed choir based in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, associated with the public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk. Founded in the immediate postwar period, the ensemble has developed a reputation for stylistic versatility across liturgical Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach repertories as well as contemporary works by Karlheinz Stockhausen and Hans Werner Henze. The choir regularly partners with leading orchestras, conductors, and festivals across Europe, North America, and Asia.

History

The choir was established in 1946 amid cultural reconstruction in Germany and the American occupation, linking to postwar broadcasting initiatives in Munich and Bavaria. Early collaborations involved conductors such as Hans Rosbaud, Hermann Scherchen, and Willi Gohl, while landmark performances included masses and oratorios by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Orlande de Lassus, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. During the Cold War era the ensemble appeared with visiting maestros from United Kingdom and France, and participated in festivals like the Salzburg Festival and the Bayreuth Festival affiliate events. Later decades saw premieres of works by György Ligeti, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, and Paul Hindemith, and collaborations with contemporary music institutions including the Donaueschingen Festival and the Munich Biennale.

Organization and Personnel

Administratively the choir is part of the cultural structure of Bayerischer Rundfunk, sharing facilities with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and engaging in studio recording schedules at venues such as the Herkulessaal and the Gasteig. Leadership has included chief conductors and artistic directors drawn from clerical and orchestral traditions; notable musical directors have worked alongside general managers and vocal coaches from institutions like the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Royal Academy of Music. Membership comprises full-time salaried singers, auditioned by panels involving figures from European Broadcasting Union sessions and international choral networks. The ensemble’s staffing also integrates répétiteurs, language coaches, and administrative liaisons to festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and institutions like the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach for project support.

Repertoire and Recordings

The choir’s repertoire spans Renaissance polyphony by Josquin des Prez and Thomas Tallis, Baroque works by George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach, Classical and Romantic masterpieces by Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, and Gustav Mahler, and 20th–21st century compositions by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Benjamin Britten, Olivier Messiaen, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Studio discography includes award-winning recordings with labels and producers linked to Deutsche Grammophon, ECM Records, and national radio archives. Live recordings feature exchanges with ensembles such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and chamber groups tied to early-music specialists like Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Christopher Hogwood. The choir’s recorded catalogue contains liturgical cycles, large-scale oratorios, choral symphonies, and contemporary premieres, often preserved in broadcasting archives of ARD and the European Broadcasting Union.

Collaborations and Commissions

Collaborative partners have included conductors Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Riccardo Muti, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Abbado, Mariss Jansons, Kirill Petrenko, Daniel Barenboim, and soloists such as Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Felicity Lott, and Barbara Bonney. Institutional commissions and premieres were undertaken in partnership with composers and centers like Stockhausen Stiftung für Musik, Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, and contemporary festivals including the Biennale di Venezia and the Wien Modern. Cross-disciplinary projects brought the choir together with choreographers from Staatsballett Berlin, directors from the Bavarian State Opera, and multimedia artists associated with institutions such as ZKM Karlsruhe and Centre Pompidou.

Awards and Recognition

The choir has earned critical acclaim and several honors including prizes and nominations from institutions such as the Gramophone Awards, the ECHO Klassik awards, and accolades from broadcasting peers in the European Broadcasting Union. Recordings and live projects have been cited by juries of the Pulitzer Prize committee in collaborative contemporary contexts, shortlisted for national music prizes in Germany and internationally reviewed by outlets like The New York Times, BBC Music Magazine, and The Guardian. Institutional recognition includes appointments to cultural advisory boards in Bavaria and invitations to state-level ceremonies and international cultural diplomacy programs organized by the German Federal Foreign Office.

Category:German choirs Category:Musical groups established in 1946 Category:Culture in Munich