Mitsingkonzert with the Rundfunkchor Berlin

Simon Halsey occupies a unique position in classical music. He is the trusted advisor on choral singing to the world’s greatest conductors, orchestras and choruses; as an ambassador for choral singing to amateurs of every age, ability and background he has led ground-breaking massed choral events, notably for New York’s Lincoln Center.

Making singing a central part of the world-class institutions with which he is associated, he has been instrumental in changing the level of symphonic singing across Europe. He holds positions across the UK and Europe as Chorus Director of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Principal Guest Conductor and Choral Ambassador of Orfeó Català, Principal Guest Conductor at WDR Rundfunkchor, Conductor Laureate of Rundfunkchor Berlin, Choral Director Emeritus of London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and Professor and Director of Choral Activities at University of Birmingham. His work is the subject of the documentary film Unsere Herzen – Ein Klang (Our Hearts – One Sound), which was released to cinemas in September 2022.

He is also a highly respected teacher and academic, nurturing the next generation of choral conductors on his post-graduate course in Birmingham and through masterclasses in Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. He holds four honorary doctorates from universities in the UK, and in 2011 Schott Music published his book and DVD on choral conducting, Chorleitung: Vom Konzept zum Konzert.

Halsey’s numerous awards include three Grammys for his recordings with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. He was made Commander of the British Empire in 2015, was awarded The Queen’s Medal for Music in 2014, and received the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2011 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to choral music in Germany.

Born in London, Simon Halsey sang in the choirs of New College, Oxford, and of King’s College, Cambridge and studied conducting at the Royal College of Music in London. In 1987, he founded with Graham Vick the Birmingham Opera Company. He was Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir from 1997 to 2008 and Principal Conductor of the Northern Sinfonia’s Choral Programme from 2004 to 2012. From 2001-2015 he led the Rundfunkchor Berlin (of which he is now Conductor Laureate); under his leadership the chorus gained a reputation internationally as one of the finest professional choral ensembles. Halsey also initiated innovative projects in unconventional venues and interdisciplinary formats.

The Norwegian–Nicaraguan soprano Victoria Randem (b. 1995) has quickly established herself as one of the most distinguished voices of her generation. She is known for her warm lyric expression, dramatic presence, and artistic curiosity — qualities that have brought her to some of Europe’s most prestigious stages.

From 2019 to 2024, she was a soloist at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, where she performed roles such as Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Ilia (Idomeneo), Ännchen (Der Freischütz), and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte).

Her international breakthrough came in 2021 with the role of Alida in Peter Eötvös’ Sleepless, based on Jon Fosse’s novel Andvake. The production was presented in Berlin and at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, receiving multiple awards. This role became a vital springboard for Randem’s international career.

She has also appeared as Pamina at the Semperoper Dresden, and has performed at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, Volksoper Vienna, Glyndebourne Festival, and Grand Théâtre de Genève. In 2024 she expanded her repertoire into musical theatre, singing Maria in West Side Story in Vienna.

In September 2025 she made her Italian debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Palermo Classica, and performed Musetta in La Bohème at the Tiroler Festspiele, in Jonas Kaufmann’s first season as festival director.

At the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Randem achieved great acclaim in the title role of Stefan Herheim’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen, conducted by Edward Gardner. For this performance she received the Hedda Award for best musical and scenic performance, while the production itself won both the Critics’ Award and the Hedda Award for best opera.

She is also the recipient of the Kirsten Flagstad Prize 2025 and the Ingrid Bjoner Prize 2023 (awarded during the Queen Sonja International Music Competition), as well as The Norwegian Soloist Prize 2025, which will be marked with a dedicated concert at the Bergen International Festival 2026.

Randem has performed at the Bayreuth Festival (Waldvogel in Siegfried and Blumenmädchen in Parsifal), and has appeared with orchestras such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla.
She has collaborated with conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Sir Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Christian Thielemann, and Simone Young.

Upcoming highlights include new engagements at the Bayreuth Festival, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, an Artist in Residence period at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, and performances of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with the Rundfunkchor Berlin in both Vilnius and the Berlin Philharmonie.

The Catalan mezzo-soprano completed her vocal studies at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. Among other accolades, she is a prize-winner of the Stuttgart International Lieder Competition and the Pietro Antonio Cesti International Baroque Opera Competition.

Her operatic repertoire ranges from Carmen, Ottavia, Dido and Diana, Cenerentola and Rosina, through Bellini’s Romeo, Gounod’s Stephano and Mozart’s Donna Elvira and Cherubino, to the Messenger of Peace in Rienzi and Simplicius, showcasing the full breadth and powerful stage presence of Anna Alàs i Jové.

She has performed at venues such as the Berlin State Opera, Cologne Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Teatro Real in Madrid, Bonn Opera, the State Theatres of Nuremberg and Braunschweig, the Landestheater Linz, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Potsdam Music Festival and the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, as well as at almost all major Spanish opera houses, concert halls and festivals.

Her extensive concert repertoire has taken her to almost all the major European concert halls. She has appeared, for example, with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, in a production of ‘Elijah’ at the Winteroper in Potsdam, with ‘Elijah’ at the Berlin Philharmonie, as Storge in the new production of ‘Jephtha’ at the Staatstheater Wiesbaden (directed by Achim Freyer, conducted by Konrad Junghänel), and there also in a staged production of J.S. Bach’s “St Matthew Passion” in the alto role; at the Bonn Opera, she portrayed Bradamante in “Alcina”, amongst other roles.

She has worked with conductors such as Marc Minkowski, Dirk Kaftan, David Afkham, Thomas Hengelbrock, Markus Poschner, Dorothee Oberlinger, Christoph Prick, Josep Pons, Titus Engel, Konrad Junghänel and others. A great passion of Anna Alàs i Jové’s is her extensive lieder repertoire, particularly featuring rediscoveries and world premiere recordings; and she has released several CD recordings on labels such as Sony Classical, Naxos, Seed and others.

Anglo-German tenor Kieran Carrel has a busy and varied career, active in Opera, Concert and Recital.
As a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, his repertoire includes Tamino; Don Ottavio; Walther Tannhäuser; Erik Der fliegende Holländer; Froh Das Rheingold; Narraboth Salome; Alfred Die Fledermaus; Count Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia and Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Concert highlights in the current season and beyond include Mendelssohn Lobgesang with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Diego Fasolis; a recording and tour of Schumann Das Paradies und die Peri with Jordi Savall; Bach Weihnachtsoratorium with the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester and Evangelist in both the St John Passion with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Reuss and St Matthew Passion with the Noord Nederlands Orkest and Hartmut Haenchen.

Recent concerts include Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Thomanerchor Leipzig; Evangelist Bach St John Passion with The English Concert and Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and Das Paradies und die Peri in Utrecht with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.

Kieran made his recital debut at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin in 2019 as part of the Heidelberger Frühling Schubert Week with Thomas Hampson and Hartmut Höll and in the same year was a finalist in the Wigmore Hall/Independent Opera International Song Competition, together with duo partner Richard Gowers. He recently performed a Schubert programme with Kristian Bezuidenhout at the 2024 MA Festival in Brugge and appeared at the Luxembourg Philharmonie with Graham Johnson. His connection to the Pierre Boulez Saal and Wigmore Hall continues with solo recitals in both halls, and, in addition, he has appeared at Wigmore Hall in a Hugo Wolf Song Gala with Christoph Prégardien and James Baillieu: sung Haydn canzonettas with András Schiff and Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music with the Nash Ensemble.

Kieran has taken part in a complete Brahms Lieder disc with Ulrich Eisenlohr on NAXOS and other recordings include Mozart’s Requiem with Il Gardellino; CPE Bach’s Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu; Wolf Italienisches Liederbuch and Schumann Dichterliebe with Ensemble Opus and Ralf Gothoni.

Kieran studied in Cologne with Christoph Prégardien before continuing his education at London’s Royal Academy of Music with Neil Mackie.

Roderick Williams is one of the UK’s most sought-after baritones and is constantly in demand on the concert platform and in recital, encompassing repertoire from the baroque to world premieres.

Opera engagements have included major roles at leading opera houses worldwide including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, English National Opera, Dutch National Opera, Dallas Opera, the Bregenz Festival and Oper Köln. He has been involved in many world premieres including Alexander Knaifel’s Alice in Wonderland, several operas by Michel van der Aa, the title role in Robert Saxton’s The Wandering Jew, and the UK premiere of Sally Beamish’s Judas Passion with the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment.

Notable operatic engagements have included Oronte in Charpentier’s Medée, Toby Kramer in van der Aa’s Sunken Garden, Don Alfonso / Cosi fan Tutte and Sharpless / Madam Butterfly and baritone in a staging of Britten’s War Requiem for English National Opera, the title role in Eugene Onegin and Prince Yeletsky / Pique Dame for Garsington Opera, the title role in Billy Budd for Opera North, van der Aa’s After Life at Melbourne State Theatre and at Opera de Lyon, and van de Aa’s Upload for Dutch National Opera, the Bregenz Festival, Oper Köln and at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. He has also appeared as Papageno and as Ulisse / Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Toby Kramer for Dallas Opera, and Christus / St John Passion in staged performances with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, both under Sir Simon Rattle. In 2023 he sang Germont in La Traviata at the St Endellion Festival and recorded the role for a new film by Opera Glassworks which was released on Sky Arts in January 2025. Future engagements include Josh in the new Van der Aa opera, The Theory of Flames, for the Dutch National Opera and Bregenz Festival.

Recent and future concert engagements include performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, the Hallé, Bayerische Rundfunk, Britten Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort, The Sixteen, The King’s Consort, Le Concert Spirituel, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Berlin Philharmonic, RIAS Kammerchor, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, San Francisco Symphony, Music of the Baroque Chicago, New York Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Sao Paulo Symphony, Bach Collegium Japan, and Singapore Symphony. He is a regular performer at the BBC Proms, featuring as the soloist in the Last Night in 2014, and recently appearing in the St Matthew Passion in 2021, and the world premiere of Matthew Kaner’s ‘Pearl’ in 2022. Other recent engagements included tours of Japan with the BBC SO, of Europe with the RIAS Kammerchor, and of North America with Bach Collegium Japan.

He is an accomplished recital artist who can be heard regularly at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, LSO St Luke’s, the Perth Concert Hall, Ludlow Song Festival, Oxford Lieder Festival, Howard Assembly Room in Leeds, Bath International Festival, Three Choirs Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, the Concertgebouw and the Musikverein. In 2019 he performed all three Schubert cycles at Wigmore Hall. His recital programmes often feature repertoire by British composers, including many new works. He appears frequently on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 as both performer and presenter.

His numerous recordings include Vaughan Williams, Berkeley and Britten operas for Chandos, and an extensive repertoire of English song with pianist Iain Burnside for Naxos. Other recent recordings include an award-winning disc of French song with Roger Vignoles for Champs Hill Records, the three Schubert Cycles with Iain Burnside for Chandos, and recordings of Stanford and Somervell with Susie Allan for Somm. He has also recorded Schubert’s Winter Journey in a new translation by Jeremy Samms with Christopher Glynn for Signum. He sang Captain Balstrode / Peter Grimes with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos (Gramophone Recording of the Year 2021). He has also recorded his own arrangement of Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad and other English repertoire with the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder, also for Chandos.

He is an established composer and has recently taken up the role of Composer in Association of the BBC Singers. Commissions include a major work, World without End, for the RIAS Kammerchor and BBC Singers, as well as a commission to celebrate the centenary of the RAF. He was Artistic Director of Leeds Lieder + in April 2016 and Artist in Residence with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra 2020-2022. Currently he is Artist in Residence of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and ‘singer-in-residence’ for Music in the Round in Sheffield presenting concerts and leading on dynamic and innovative learning and participation projects that introduce amateur singers, young and old, to performing classical song repertoire. In 2023 he was Artistic Director of the St Endellion Summer Festival, and Artist in Residence at the Aldeburgh Festival.

In 2016 he won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer of the Year award, and in June 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to music.
He also performed at the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

With around 60 concerts annually, CD recordings, and international performances, the Rundfunkchor Berlin is one of the world’s leading choirs. Three Grammy Awards alone stand as a testament to the quality of its recordings. Its wide-ranging repertoire, flexible, richly nuanced sound, flawless precision, and compelling presence make the professional choir a partner of choice for prominent orchestras and conductors, including Kirill Petrenko, Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In Berlin, the choir has an intense collaboration with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, as well as with their chief conductors.

The Rundfunkchor Berlin also attracts international attention with its interdisciplinary projects, which break the traditional concert format and offer new ways of experiencing choral music. A milestone was the staged interpretation of Brahms’ Requiem as a “human requiem” by Jochen Sandig and a team from Sasha Waltz & Guests. After performances in New York, Hong Kong, Paris, and Adelaide, the production traveled to Istanbul for the first time in the summer of 2019. For the project LUTHER dancing with the gods, the choir reflected on Luther’s impact on the arts and within the arts in a genre-defying concert performance with Robert Wilson and music by Bach, Nystedt, and Reich. For TIME TRAVELLERS, the choir will transform the Berliner Radialsystem into a walkable time tunnel in the 2019/2020 season. Based on Jonathan Dove’s composition The Passing of the Year, the project will create an interactive choral experience with films, images, performance, and music.

Through its community projects targeting diverse audiences – such as the large sing-along concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Festival of Choral Cultures for choirs from around the world, and the Song Market for Berlin students – the Rundfunkchor Berlin aims to inspire as many people as possible to sing. Its comprehensive educational program SING! focuses on the sustainable networking of various partners to promote singing as a natural part of Berlin’s elementary school curriculum. With the Academy and Schola, as well as the International Master Class Berlin, the ensemble is committed to nurturing the next generation of professional singers and conductors.

Founded in 1925, the Rundfunkchor Berlin celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2015. The choir has been shaped by conductors such as Helmut Koch, Dietrich Knothe (1982–93), Robin Gritton (1994–2001), and Simon Halsey (2001–2015). Since the 2015/16 season, Dutch conductor Gijs Leenaars has been the chief conductor and artistic director of the ensemble. Simon Halsey remains connected to the choir as an honorary conductor and guest conductor. The Rundfunkchor Berlin is an ensemble of the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin, under the sponsorship of Deutschlandradio, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Berlin, and Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg.

The youngest among them are just 11 years old, and at 20 they are already considered “old” here – and yet they are already playing on major international stages and at festivals such as the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein and the Cologne Philharmonic Hall, the Grand Auditorium in Luxembourg and the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival and Young Euro Classic in Berlin.

The orchestra members of the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie regularly impress audiences and critics alike with their high quality and excellence of playing. The intensive work of the instructors from the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin with the individual voice groups ensures the ensemble’s characteristic, extremely homogeneous string sound. Since 2013, the ensemble has been under the artistic direction of principal conductor Wolfgang Hentrich, first concertmaster of the Dresden Philarmonic Orchestra.

Participants qualify through an audition, which the DSP regularly invites them to attend – in Berlin and also digitally, making it even easier to reach highly talented young string players in all 16 federal states. Numerous RSB members once played in Germany’s youngest selection orchestra themselves – thus continuing the tradition between the two officially certified Jeunesses Musicales patronage orchestras for 50 years now.

Among the numerous highlights in its anniversary year 2023 – its 50th birthday – the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie is particularly delighted to have been awarded the prestigious Würth Prize. The young musicians also look back with pride on their participation in the award-winning Hollywood film “Tár,” which was released in German cinemas in March.