General
Apply now for our Schola and Academy!
Join the Rundfunkchor Berlin – our Schola and Academy are looking for you!
You’re passionate about choral singing, studying voice, and wondering what everyday life in a first-rate professional ensemble feels like? Then the Rundfunkchor Berlin’s Schola and Academy are your launchpad into a dream career as a choral singer.
Schola: Two weeks of professional choir life
In the Schola you immerse yourself for two intensive weeks in the rehearsal and concert schedule of the Rundfunkchor Berlin. You work in a small ensemble on a demanding a cappella programme under the direction of Nico Köhs and present it in your own concert. You also gain insight into large-scale choral-symphonic work when you prepare and perform, among other things, Stravinsky’s »Symphony of Psalms« and works by Lili Boulanger with the DSO Berlin at the Berlin Philharmonie.
Key details:
– Period: 28 September – 10 October 2026, rehearsals at Haus des Rundfunks Berlin
– Concerts: A cappella concert on 4 October, choral-symphonic concerts on 9 and 10 October 2026 at the Philharmonie Berlin
– Application deadline: 31 March 2026
– Auditions: 12 May in Cologne, 13 May in Stuttgart, 14 May in Berlin (two freely chosen pieces, plus a choral excerpt sent at short notice)
Participation in the Schola is free of charge. Travel expenses up to the cost of a standard BahnCard 50 rail fare will be reimbursed, you receive a scholarship of 250 € per person, and a limited number of private host placements are available. At the end you’ll receive a certificate – and, even more importantly, a wealth of real stage experience.
Academy: Your choral career kick-off
The Rundfunkchor Berlin Academy accompanies you for half a year as you step into professional choral life. You take part in rehearsals and – after a successful probation period – in concerts with leading orchestras and conductors, and you experience the nuanced working methods of an international top-level choir at first hand.
What awaits you:
– A subtle interplay of leadership, flexibility, and close musical interaction within the ensemble
– Stylistic confidence from early music to contemporary repertoire
– A secure command of complex contemporary scores
– Refinement of your sight-singing
– Individual coaching in ensemble singing, choral sight-reading, and audition preparation with mentors from the choir under the guidance of Nico Köhs
Applications and auditions:
– Auditions on 17 June 2026 in Berlin for the period August 2026 – February 2027 (application deadline: 31 May 2026)
– In the first round you present one song and one contemporary work of your choice; in the second round an aria from an oratorio or opera plus a choral excerpt from the opening chorus of the »St Matthew Passion« (bars 17–30).
Schola or Academy – which is right for you?
Schola:
– Duration: 2 weeks
– Focus: A cappella and choral-symphonic projects, first intensive hands-on experience in a professional ensemble
– Benefits: Free participation, travel subsidy, 250 € scholarship, certificate
Academy:
– Duration: Approx. 6 months
– Focus: In-depth ensemble work, broad repertoire, starting your professional career as a choral singer
– Benefits: 800–1,000 € monthly training allowance, mentoring, concert experience with top orchestras
