André de Ridder & Anna Lapwood

The choir of Junges Ensemble Berlin is a standard-bearer for young, outstanding music making in Berlin. It comprises around 90 students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 40, who share a love of music. Its members are united in their commitment to a high standard of music-making as well as a joy in challenging choral repertoire. In 2017 the musical direction of the choir was taken by Vinzenz Weissenburger.

In 2018 the Junges Ensemble Berlin celebrated its 60th anniversary. The choir can look back on considerable successes that show its musical diversity; from choral-symphonic works such as Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem” or Bach’s Passions to a cappella works. It also crosses genre boundaries, for example singing with Barbra Streisand in the Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin in 2013. In spring 2014, the ensemble released its first professional CD recording; Arthur Honegger’s symphonic psalm “King David” on Rondeau Classics.

As well as concerts in Germany, the choir often makes guest appearances abroad. In autumn 2017 the choir travelled to China, performing in renowned concert halls in Beijing, Wuhan, Hangzhou and Changsha. Previously, the choir accepted an invitation from the Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín to perform in Colombia.

In May 2018 the choir achieved fifth place with “very good success” in the highly competitive category “Mixed Choirs – from 32 participants” at the German Choir Competition in Freiburg, having finished with “outstanding success” at the Berlin Choir Competition in 2017. This was a continuation of the success at the 2014 German Choir Competition in Weimar, where the choir also finished with “very good success” and won a special prize for its interpretation of the folk song “Der Kuckuck und der Esel”.

The choir of Junges Ensemble Berlin also initiates projects that engage with wider society, leading a performance of Handel’s oratorio “Semele” with refugees in April 2017, and the co-operative “Images of Light” project with the Otto-Hahn-Schule Berlin-Neukölln in both Berlin and Istanbul in March 2011. In addition, the choir invited students of the Comenius-Schule Berlin-Wilmersdorf and the Jane-Addams-Schule Berlin-Friedrichshain to take part in a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in the Berlin Konzerthaus in November 2012.

The choir of Junges Ensemble Berlin is one of the leading amateur choirs in Germany. It is a member of the Berlin Choir Society (Chorverband Berlin e.V.) and has been supported by the Berlin state government since 2009.

The conductor and choirmaster Vinzenz Weissenburger works with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons and Sir Simon Rattle and conducts orchestras such as the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig, the Staatskapelle Berlin and the Lautten Compagney in concerts and operas.

At the Staatsoper in the Schiller Theater, he conducted the workshop productions of “Puss in Boots” by César Cui, “Eisenhans!” by Ali N. Askin and Wolf-Ferrari’s “Cinderella” as well as the traditional Christmas concert with the Staatsoper’s children’s choir and the Staatskapelle Berlin since 2011. In Dresden, he conducted Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” in 2010 and Lortzing’s “Der Wildschütz” with the Neue Elbland Philharmonie in 2011. In June 2012, he made his debut at Theater Hof with Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia”.

He has conducted the children’s choir of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin since 2007 and has since developed it to such an extent that it won the gold medal at Siaulia Cantat in Lithuania in 2013 and first prize at the German Choir Competition in 2014. At the international choir competition in Hoi An (Vietnam), the children’s choir was awarded two gold medals and Vinzenz Weissenburger was awarded the Conductor’s Prize for outstanding achievement. In September 2015, he founded the youth chamber choir Junges Consortium Berlin, which won three gold medals at the Grand Prix of Nations in 2017. Here, he also received a special prize for “excellent conducting”. In November 2016, he took over the artistic direction of the Junges Ensemble Berlin choir.