The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden , Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surrounding region. The boys attend the Kreuzschule in Dresden. They are also called "Kruzianer".
14-735: Until summer 2022, the director of the choir is Roderich Kreile , who is the 28th "Kreuzkantor" ( Cantor ) since the Reformation . Next Kreuzkantor will be Martin Lehmann [ de ] . The Cantor between 1971 and 1991 was Martin Flämig . The repertoire of the choir includes compositions from the early Baroque ( Heinrich Schütz , Johann Sebastian Bach ), the early 19th century and modern work. Several recordings are available from Berlin Classics, Deutsche Grammophon and Capriccio. The choir often performs with
28-579: Is a German boys' choir in Windsbach , Germany, founded in 1946 and performing internationally. The choir was founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and was conducted by Karl-Friedrich Beringer from 1977 for decades. It is regarded as one of the most renowned boys choirs of the world. The choir is an institution of the Lutheran Church in Bavaria , which raises about 30 percent of the funds required to support both
42-634: Is a Lutheran church musician, choir director and university teacher. He had been the director of the Dresdner Kreuzchor at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden , as the 28th Kreuzkantor since the Reformation from 1997 until his retirement in 2022. Kreile studied church music and choral conducting in Munich. In 1981, he became a cantor at the Christ Church in Munich. From 1989 to 1996 he taught choral conducting at
56-671: The Hochschule für Musik und Theater München . He was appointed Kirchenmusikdirektor (director of church music) in 1990. In 1994, he also prepared the choir Philharmonischer Chor München for concerts with the Münchner Philharmoniker . In 2010 he became a member of the Sächsische Akademie der Künste (Saxon Academy of Arts). He has been the vice chairman of the Neue Bachgesellschaft and an advisory board member of
70-841: The Prayer of Saint Francis ), in the presence of the composer Kurt Hessenberg . Renowned opera houses like the Semperoper in Dresden, the Komische Oper Berlin and the Deutsche Oper Berlin have engaged members of the Dresdner Kreuzchor as soloists, for example as the three boys in The Magic Flute or as the shepherd-boy in Tosca . Roderich Kreile Roderich Kreile (born 1956)
84-1032: The Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra . The choir sings Vespers almost every Saturday at 5 pm and on Sunday at 9:30 am in the Church Service. Every year, they go on several concert tours in Germany, but also in Europe, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Canada, Latin America and the United States. Altogether, the choir performs about 100 times every year: 50 Church Services and Vespers, 10 concerts at their church (always including Bach's Christmas Oratorio and St Matthew Passion , and A German Requiem of Brahms), and 40 concert on tours. All in all, 150,000 people see
98-561: The Sächsische Verfassungsmedaille by the president of the Saxon Landtag Matthias Rößler for "sein beeindruckendes künstlerisches Schaffen, das stets mit hohem persönlichen Einsatz und großem Erfolg verbunden ist" (his impressive artistic work, which is always associated with a high personal commitment and great success). Windsbacher Knabenchor The Windsbacher Knabenchor ( Windsbach Boys' Choir )
112-575: The Windsbacher Knabenchor since 2012. Kreile has recorded with the Dresdner Kreuzchor music written for Dresden, such as cantatas for Pentecost and a St John Passion which his predecessor the 15th Kreuzkantor Gottfried August Homilius composed for the Frauenkirche in Dresden . In 2005 the Dresdner Kreuzchor was awarded the Brahms-Preis (Brahms Prize). On 2 June 2012 Kreile was awarded
126-413: The Dresdner Kreuzchor has appeared extensively at home and abroad. Tours have taken the choir through Germany, other European countries, to the United States, South America, South Korea and Japan. It is one of few boys' choirs serving as ambassadors of Saxony abroad. He has conducted premieres of choral music. On 2 July 2022, he retired after 25 years in office and was succeeded by Martin Lehmann, who led
140-532: The International Heinrich Schütz Society. Since 1997, Kreile has been the 28th Kreuzkantor since the Reformation . Leading the Dresdner Kreuzchor with its history of more than 700 years is regarded as one of the most prestigious positions the Protestant church in Germany has to offer ("eines der ehrenvollsten Ämter der evangelischen Kirchenmusik"). He has a contract until 2022. With him,
154-530: The Middle East, Far East, the United States and South America. The choir accompanied the Presidents of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker and Roman Herzog on their state visits and held a concert for Johannes Rau . At school, the young singers are specially supported in so called "choir classes" of the external grammar school "Johann-Sebastian-Bach- Gymnasium ". This allows for more flexibility in responding to
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#1732844275176168-704: The ensemble and the singers boarding school . The choir received the Rheingau Musik Preis of the Rheingau Musik Festival in 2007. From 2011, Martin Lehmann [ de ] has been artistic director of the choir. The choir's repertoire spans from a cappella to great oratorios such as the Handel's Messiah and Medelssohn's Elijah . With about 70 singers, the choir performs about 50 concerts per year. This includes going on tour once or twice per year to locations such as other European countries,
182-599: The performances of the choir every year. The Dresdner Kreuzchor has performed at the Rheingau Musik Festival several times, notably in the first season in 1988 – the Inner German border still in effect – a concert in the Marktkirche , Wiesbaden . They concluded a program of motets from the Renaissance to Bach, Brahms and Bruckner with words about peace, O Herr, mache mich zum Werkzeug deines Friedens (after
196-448: The special needs of the singers. The musical education at the boarding school also includes voice training, music theory and of course the daily rehearsals. In order to ensure proper delivery of homework and absorption of curriculum content, the younger grades are obliged to attend a daily "study time" at the boarding school. Depending on the proficiency level of an individual student, special enhancement classes are offered by teachers of
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