October 19 at 5:40 p.m.
October 20 at 11:00 a.m. with Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal
October 20 at 4:30 p.m.
The Philharmonic Children’s Choir Dresden owes its inception in 1967 to an initiative launched by Kurt Masur, who was the Principal Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic at the time. Consequently, it can look back on more than fifty years of history. Today it is one of Germany’s best-known and most successful children’s choirs. Since 2012 Prof. Gunter Berger has led the Philharmonic Children’s Choir. Around 140 children currently sing in the choir’s various groups. The multi-faceted musical spectrum ranges from Renaissance to 21st-century works.
The continuous professional work with the children is supported by close cooperation and concerts held jointly with the Dresden Philharmonic.
The choir’s a cappella repertoire can be experienced across Germany and internationally. The choir can also look back on tours with concerts and workshops in China, Japan, the US, Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Radio, film and television productions as well as numerous CD recordings document the choir’s wide range of activities.
The Philharmonic Children’s Choir has garnered first prizes at many national and international competitions. In its home town of Dresden, it hosts the “International Children’s Choir Festival”, which takes place every two years.
The prerequisite for the choir’s high level of artistic achievement is intensive and comprehensive training, offered already for children of pre-school age: children are able to join from the age of five, where they learn how to work with voice, rhythm and reading music. The first two years start off in a playful and fun manner; the requirements then gradually increase. At about the age of ten, the children switch to the Children’s Choir, where they take part in concerts of a smaller format: this is a prerequisite for joining the Concert Choir at about zwölf years of age, the choir which performs the main concerts and tours of the Philharmonic Children’s Choir Dresden.
The choir’s rehearsals and concerts are substantially supported on the piano by Iris Geißler, administrative and musical assistant of the Philharmonic Children’s Choir.
Back
