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| Wiener Staatsoper Chorus | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wiener Staatsoper Chorus |
| Location | Vienna, Austria |
| Founded | 1920s |
| Affiliation | Vienna State Opera |
Wiener Staatsoper Chorus The Wiener Staatsoper Chorus is the resident chorus of the Vienna State Opera, renowned for performances in the operatic and symphonic repertoire at the Vienna State Opera, the Musikverein, and international stages. It serves as a principal vocal ensemble alongside institutions such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony, and the Salzburg Festival, contributing to productions by houses like the Royal Opera House, La Scala, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Founded amid the musical milieu of Vienna in the early 20th century, the chorus developed under the cultural legacies of figures associated with the Vienna State Opera, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, and the Burgtheater. Its formation and evolution intersect with institutions such as the Imperial Court Opera, the Staatskapelle Dresden, and the Bayreuth Festival, and it performed works by composers including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Richard Wagner, and Gustav Mahler. The ensemble navigated historical periods marked by events involving the Congress of Vienna, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Anschluss, and postwar reconstruction influenced by the Allied occupation and the United Nations. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries it collaborated with opera houses and festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, the Bregenz Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, the Glyndebourne Festival, and the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
The chorus is administratively embedded within the Vienna State Opera alongside departments like the Staatsoper administration, the rehearsal department, and the stage management team, cooperating with unions and professional associations such as the Österreichischer Sängerbund and the International Federation of Musicians. Members are recruited through auditions evaluated by panels featuring representatives from the Vienna Philharmonic, the Wiener Symphoniker, and conservatories including the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, the Conservatoire de Paris, and the Royal College of Music. The roster includes permanent ensemble singers, guest soloists from houses like the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Komische Oper Berlin, and apprentices from programs associated with the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Sibelius Academy. Administrative oversight interacts with municipal bodies such as the City of Vienna and cultural funders including the Austrian Federal Chancellery and the Kleines Komitee of arts patrons.
The chorus performs core operatic works by Mozart (Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte), Verdi (Aida, La Traviata, Otello), Wagner (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Tristan und Isolde), and Puccini (Tosca, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly), as well as symphonic choral literature by Beethoven (Missa solemnis, Ninth Symphony), Brahms (Ein deutsches Requiem), Bruckner (Te Deum), and Mahler (Symphonies No. 2 and 8). It appears in staged productions featuring directors from the world of theatre and opera such as Wieland Wagner, Franco Zeffirelli, Peter Grimes collaborators, Patrice Chéreau, and Robert Wilson, and in concert cycles at venues including the Musikverein, the Konzerthaus, the Salzburg Mozarteum, and the Vienna Konzerthaus. The ensemble engages with choral works by contemporary composers presented at festivals like the Donaueschingen Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, and the Lucerne Festival.
The chorus has collaborated with orchestras and institutions such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Touring engagements have taken it to houses and festivals including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro Real Madrid, La Monnaie, the Salzburg Festival, the Bayreuth Festival, and the BBC Proms. Conductors, stage directors, and cultural ministries across Europe, the United States, and Asia have facilitated projects with organizations like the European Union Youth Orchestra, the International Society for Contemporary Music, and UNESCO cultural initiatives.
The chorus has worked under renowned conductors including Herbert von Karajan, Carlos Kleiber, Karl Böhm, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Leonard Bernstein, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christian Thielemann, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, and Georges Prêtre. Directors and scenographers associated with chorus productions include Franco Zeffirelli, Patrice Chéreau, Harry Kupfer, Christoph Schlingensief, Peter Stein, and Claus Guth, often in collaborations that also involved institutions like the Salzburg Festival, La Scala, and the Royal Opera House.
Recordings feature the chorus on labels and projects with Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Philips, Sony Classical, and RCA Victor, appearing on acclaimed recordings of operas and symphonies alongside the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble has been part of award-winning projects recognized by the Grammy Awards, the Gramophone Awards, the Edison Award, and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, contributing to landmark recordings of works by Wagner, Mozart, Verdi, Mahler, and Beethoven.
The chorus engages in educational initiatives with institutions such as the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, the Vienna Boys' Choir, conservatories across Europe, and youth orchestras including the European Union Youth Orchestra, offering workshops, masterclasses, and community concerts. Outreach projects have linked the ensemble to cultural programs supported by the City of Vienna, the Austrian Ministry of Culture, the Vienna State Opera's family programming, and international cultural diplomacy through partnerships with organizations like UNESCO and the European Commission.
Category:Austrian choirs Category:Opera choruses Category:Vienna State Opera ensembles