Vocalconsort Berlin
Vocalconsort Berlin is one of the most highly regarded and versatile vocal ensembles in Germany. Founded in 2003 Vocalconsort has no principal conductor, but is working instead on a project-by-project basis with various conductors, but also with long-term artistic partners such as Daniel Reuss, Folkert Uhde and Sasha
Waltz.
Vocalconsort Berlin is versatile in both instrumentation and repertoire, but always stylistically confident and of impressive homogeneity. It has enjoyed success in a wide variety of fields: from Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” under René Jacobs, Haydn’s “Four Seasons” under Christopher Moulds, Bernstein’s “A Quiet Place” under Kent Nagano and through to Peter Ruzicka’s “Inseln, Randlos” under the direction of the composer himself. Vocalconsort Berlin supported the opera choir on stage in Barrie Kosky’s production in Schönberg’s “Moses und Aron” under Vladimir Jurowski. The ensemble also plays an important role in many successful scenic productions by Sasha Waltz & Guests, such as “Dido & Aenes” by Purcell, “L’Orfeo” by Monteverdi, “Medea” by Dusapin and “Matsukaze” by Hosokawa.
CD recordings include Handel’s “Ode for Queen Anne” and “Dixit Dominus” with Andreas Scholl and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Handel’s “Athalia” with Nuria Real and the Kammerorchester Basel as well as Bach’s motets under Marcus Creed. Vocalconsort Berlin received the ECHO Klassik in 2013 for its recording of Gesualdo’s second book “Sacrae Cantiones” under James Wood.
In its own projects Vocalconsort Berlin likes to transcend the boundaries of classical genres and disciplines:
“Allegory of Desire” was created in collaboration with the Belgian ensemble Zefiro Torna and the Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali; “From Inside” combined works by Gesualdo and Giacinto Scelsi in a concert staged by Hans-Werner Kroesinger; “Libera Me” combines music by Lobo, Desprez and Gesualdo with contemporary
dance.
In the 2017/18 season, Vocalconsort Berlin made its debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle in a semi-staged production of Janacek’s “Schlauen Füchslein”, which was directed by Peter Sellars. In recent years the collaboration with the Konzerthausorchester under the direction of Iván Fischer and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski has intensified. The Komische Oper Berlin has been a close partner within the last years. On occasion of the 2019 Salzburg Festival Vocalconsort Berlin participated in “Orphée aux Enfers” by Offenbach, a highly acclaimed production of Barrie Kosky with the Vienna Philharmonic under Enrique Mazzola. The close cooperation has continued under the new directorship of Philip Bröking (as e.g. “Orfeo ed Euridice” by Gluck, “Intolleranza 1960” by Nono, both in 2022). In the beginning of 2023, the ensemble worked together with Moritz von Oswald, recording the choir version for his project “Silencio”, an album with purely electronic pieces.
Vocalconsort Berlin maintains a regular presence in the music metropolises and at the major festivals in Europe and overseas. It has worked with conductors such as Marcus Creed, Jos van Immerseel, Ottavio Dantone, Christophe Rousset, Pablo Heras-Casado and Peter Ruzicka.