MDR-Rundfunkchor

The MDR Leipzig Radio Choir is the largest and most traditional choir of the Central German public broadcaster and is considered one of the most sought-after ensembles of its kind worldwide. Conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Kurt Masur, Colin Davis, Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, Neville Marriner, Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, and Daniel Barenboim have paid their respects to the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir.

The renowned singers also regularly perform with the MDR Symphony Orchestra and Dennis Russell Davies, its principal conductor. Other artistic partners for the 2022/23 season include the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, the Dresden Philharmonic under Marek Janowski, and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony under Alain Altinoglu.

The ensemble proves that it is an excellent partner for renowned orchestras with its highly acclaimed a cappella interpretations. Secular and sacred music, ensemble singing, and choral symphonies, spanning almost a millennium of music history, are all equally part of the ensemble’s repertoire. As an exceptional ensemble for contemporary music, the 73 choristers have also made a name for themselves with numerous premieres and first performances.

Since January 2020, Philipp Ahmann has succeeded Risto Joost as artistic director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir. He has already been associated with the choir as a guest conductor and has been shaping the choir’s musical profile with a cappella programs and CD recordings. His predecessors in this position include Herbert Kegel, Gert Frischmuth, and Howard Arman, who also developed the highly successful format of the Nachtgesänge (Night Songs).

Nearly 250 records and CDs – many of them award-winning – have been recorded by the ensemble. In 2017, for example, the singers received the International Classical Music Award for their recording of Max Reger’s Motets, Op. 110, and in March 2018, they received the Diapason d’Or for their recording of Sergei Rachmaninof’s Vesper under the direction of Risto Joost.

Most recently, a recording of motets by Anton Bruckner and Michael Haydn, conducted by Philipp Ahmann, was released in 2021. Heard via the European Broadcasting Union as well as on tours and guest appearances worldwide, the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir, which was awarded the European Culture Prize in 2013, successfully acts as a musical ambassador for Central Germany.

Photography: Andreas Lander

The artist's homepage:

https://www.mdr-rundfunkchor.de