RIAS Kammerchor Berlin
Founded more than 70 years ago, the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin now sets standards in virtually all fields of musical culture. It is known for its acclaimed historically informed interpretations of the Renaissance and the Baroque. Its performances of works from the Romantic era often lead listeners to a new idea of the sound of music of the 19th century. What’s more, the chorus stands for the most challenging of premieres, at which the possibilities inherent in contemporary vocal music are explored and defined anew. In collaboration with the RIAS Kammerchor Forum e.V., in the ForumKonzerte series it develops new concert forms and concepts of intermedial music-making at unusual Berlin locations.
As one of the best choruses in the world, the ensemble assumes its cultural and social responsibility with passion and intensity. Sponsorships for school choirs, support through the Dirigentenforum and at the RIAS Chamber Choir Studio for voice students constitute part of the extensive education and communication programme. On tours through Europe and to the world’s most important music centres, the ensemble is taking the valuable legacy of German choral culture into the 21st century.
Leading artist personalities like Uwe Gronostay, Marcus Creed, Daniel Reuss and Hans-Christoph Rademann have formed and shaped the chorus; Justin Doyle has been the principal conductor and artistic director since the 2017-18 season. His inaugural concert with Claudio Monteverdi’s “Missa in illo tempore” and the “Vespro della Beata Vergine” let audiences know to sit up and take notice. The joint Japan debut in the fall of 2018 met great audience enthusiasm. In the meantime, three of his recordings with his choir have been released – Britten’s Hymn to Cecilia, Haydn’s Missa Cellensis and Händel’s Messiah – and have been enthusiastically received by audience and critics. In the spring of 2022, a recording of Brahms’s two Liebeslieder cycles will follow.
Numerous accolades document the Kammerchor’s artistic path and international reputation: the German Record Critics' Award, the Gramophone Award, the Choc de l’année, the ECHO Klassik, the Prix Caecilia and the honorary award from the jury of German record critics are just a few of the many distinctions.
The choir has consistently successfully collaborated with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Freiburger Barockorchester, the Ensemble Resonanz and the Capella de la Torre. Its partners include conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, René Jacobs, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Andrea Marcon, Thomas Hengelbrock, Iván Fischer, Ottavio Dantone and Rinaldo Alessandrini.