WDR Rundfunkchor

In the artist's words:

The WDR Radio Choir is an outstanding professional ensemble: in demand worldwide, active throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, and based in Cologne. It specializes in challenging choral works—including those featuring soloists—ranging from medieval music to contemporary compositions. In addition to a cappella works, the singers regularly perform large-scale choral symphonic works, operas, and film scores with the WDR orchestras.

National and international orchestras invite the WDR Radio Choir to collaborate with them, including the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Performances at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Lucerne Festival, the Salzburg Festival, and the BBC Proms in London attest to its artistic stature.

Not only has the ensemble staged 200 premieres and world premieres, but it also regularly performs at contemporary music festivals, such as the Festival NOW! in Essen, Bayerischer Rundfunk’s “musica viva,” and the Venice Biennale.

Family concerts and projects with children are a matter close to the heart of the WDR Radio Choir, such as the “Kommissar Krächz” series or “Sing mal mit der Maus.” In addition, the ensemble is committed to supporting the next generation of professionals: Since 2018, the WDR Radio Choir’s Choir Academy has been providing young singers—at the intersection of their studies and entry into the professional world—with targeted training for a professional career in choral singing.

Since the 25/26 season, the WDR Radio Choir’s principal conductor has been the renowned choral director Philipp Ahmann, who previously served as artistic director of the NDR Choir and the MDR Radio Choir.