SWR Vokalensemble

About SWR Vokalensemble

A spirit of musical research, a passion for experimentation, a wide range of style and perfect singing – these are the hallmarks of the SWR Vokalensemble. For many years now, it has been counted among the top international ensembles for contemporary music, and in the course of its sixty-five-year history has sung more premieres than any other chorus. Conductors, composers and organisers hold the musical intelligence of the chorus members in high esteem, as well as their professional treatment of the difficulties of contemporary scores, and their constructive open-minded attitude toward today’s utopias.

Apart from new music, the SWR Vokalensemble also devotes itself to the more demanding choral works of earlier periods – their concert programs often set the old and the new into an evocative contrast. Musical directors Marinus Voorberg, Klaus-Martin Ziegler and Rupert Huber have each put their mark on the SWR Vokalensemble in the past. Voorberg and especially Huber molded the sound typical of the SWR Vokalensemble, characterised by slender, straight-edged vocalisation, and an equally great perfection as regards intonation and articulation. Many of the more than 200 performances noted in the chronological history of the SWR Vokalensemble were conducted by Rupert Huber.

Marcus Creed has been artistic director since 2003. His interpretations combine a sure sense of style, a beautiful sound, technical expertise and musical dynamism, and have met with great admiration from audiences and professional journals alike. The SWR Vokalensemble is a welcome and well liked guest on international concert stages and at renowned music festivals at home and abroad. Its concert programs are recorded for radio and many are then released on CD. International record prizes confirm the quality of these recordings, including the German Music Critics’ Award, the Echo Klassik Prize and the Grand Prix du Disque.

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