Sing-along Concert by 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.

Joo-hoon Shin was born in Incheon, South Korea. He began studying classical voice at the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff before later completing his studies with honors at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar in the class of Gudrun Fischer. He was already a soloist in numerous Bachcantatas and oratorios during his time as a student. Today he sings in concerts and song recitals in the Philharmonie Berlin, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Berliner Dom and in churches in Berlin and Brandenburg. He joined the Rundfunkchor Berlin in 2014 as a permanent member and also performs as a soloist regularly.

Born in Sonneberg/Thuringia, bass-baritone Axel Scheidig began his musical training at the Special School for Music Education in Wernigerode and with the Radio Youth Choir of  Wernigerode . From 1991 to 1998 he studied vocal performance and musical theatre with Helga Bante at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar and graduated with an artistic diploma. He attended masterclasses with Barbara Schlick, Kurt Moll, Siegfried Lorenz and Jakob Stämpfli, among others.

Axel Scheidig was a laureate at the International Handel Competition in Halle in 1997 and won the first prize  at the German Music Council in 1998 with the vocal ensemble “Die Weimarer Hofsänger”, which he co-founded. Numerous recordings, concerts and guest performances in Germany and abroad are proof of his extensive experience in chamber music. During his studies in Weimar, he appeared as a soloist at theatres in Thuringia, including Weimar, Erfurt, Meinungen, Gera and Rudolstadt.

From 1998 Axel Scheidig worked in the radio choirs of the NDR, WDR, BR and the Rundfunkchor Berlin, where he has been a member of the ensemble since 2005. Here he also performs regularly as a soloist under conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Simon Halsey, Marek Janowski, Marc Minkowski and Gijs Leenaars, among others at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Salzburg Easter Festival, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the Sala São Paulo or the Teatro Colón. In addition to his work with the Rundfunkchor Berlin, Axel Scheidig is also a much sought-after soloist in the oratorio field with performances throughout Germany. At the Grand Prix of Nations Berlin 2017, which was organised by Interkultur in cooperation with the Rundfunkchor Berlin, Axel Scheidig served as a juror.