Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting

Every other year, Rundfunkchor Berlin offers the Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting to support the training of choral conductors at conservatories and universities. The students are exposed to the essential skills for professional choral work and given the opportunity at the beginning of their careers to gain practical experience with a world-class ensemble.

Every two years since 2010, the Rundfunkchor Berlin has been inviting young choral conductors from all over the world to a one-week masterclass in Berlin. Eight master students study challenging choral literature and present the results of their work in a public final concert.

The Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting is led by two master teachers: the Principal Conductor of Rundfunkchor Berlin and a top-class guest. In this way the participants get to know two different perspectives and approaches.

The first three days of the course are reserved for individual lessons, the following three days are devoted to working with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. During the sessions, the young conductors communicate at eye level with the singers of the ensemble, the master teachers and the non-conducting students, who join in the second half of the week.

The masterclass is aimed at young conductors (up to the age of 35) who are in the final years of their studies, have already graduated or actually begun their careers. The masterclass presents a real chance to enter the professional field: several participants of previous masterclasses have already assisted in rehearsals with Rundfunkchor Berlin.

Young choral conductors are introduced to all aspects of professional choral work. During the Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting, you learn:

• how to learn a score thoroughly and prepare most efficiently for rehearsals
• what they can expect from the singers
• what the singers will expect from them
• which skills are required for ideal collaboration with orchestral conductors and managers

From 17 to 24 August 2018, Rundfunkchor Berlin is hosting the fifth Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting. Highly qualified young choral conductors are invited to work with master teachers Gijs Leenaars, Principal Conductor of Rundfunkchor Berlin, and the internationally renowned swedisch Choral Conductor Stefan Parkman. For three days they will meet individually, then for three days together with Rundfunkchor Berlin. The results will be presented in the final concert on 24 August at St. Elisabeth’s Church in central Berlin.

Eight master students are selected for active work from the list of applicants.

During the first three days, the focus lies on the preparation and stocktaking of the selected active master students. The active master students have prepared the entire masterclass repertoire well. This will be acquired in these three days at the piano under the direction of the master teachers.

The public masterclasses with Rundfunkchor Berlin take place over the following four days. During this time, the active master students are joined by the non-conducting master students, who offer them constructive feedback, for example, how to translate ideas and actions into musical and sung form.

Each day ends with a round of feedback. In this session, with the active and non-conducting master students on an equal footing with the master teachers as well as the singers, the day’s acquired knowledge and experiences are discussed, elucidated and analyzed.

On the last day, the public final concert takes place at St. Elisabeth’s Church in central Berlin. The active master students each conduct a work from the Berlin International Masterclass repertoire.

All active and non-conducting master students receive a certificate of participation in the Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting.

Repertoire

• Anton Bruckner: Messe Nr. 2 in e-moll für achtstimmigen gemischten Chor und Blasorchester (excerpts)
• Jonathan Dove: »The Passing of the Year« Liederzyklus für Chor, zwei Klaviere und Schlagzeug
• Alfred Schnittke: Drei geistliche Gesänge für Chor a cappella
• Igor Strawinsky: Anthem (»The dove descending breaks the air«) für Chor a cappella
• Giuseppe Verdi: »Quattro pezzi sacri« für Sopran, Chor und Orchester (»Stabat Mater« and »Te Deum«)

Course languages

German and English

Travel and accomodation

All master students are responsible for arranging their own travel and accomodation. Lunch will be provided for all master students during the 2018 Berlin International Masterclass for Choral Conducting.