MDR Radio Choir

COMPO
On December 14th 1924 the Mitteldeutscher Rund-
funk transmitted a performance of Haydn’s Creation
award-winning CD productions vouch for the choir’s
standing. Renowned conductors such as James Levine,
Kurt Masur, Kent Nagano, Sir Roger Norrington and
c/o Bernd-Michael Gräfe
Sir Simon Rattle, have time and again shown them- Bechsteinweg 4

and thus for the first time a choir was broadcast on
German radio whose members had been hand-picked
to meet the particular requirements of singing to a
SITION
04277 Leipzig
selves eager to work with and be inspired by the Tel.: 0341 862 00 91
Email: post@freunde-mdrrundfunkchor.de
choir’s sound and its interpretative qualities. Homepage http: www.freunde-mdrrundfunkchor.de

COMPE
microphone. Germany’s first ever radio chorus, found-
ed by Alfred Szendrei, then musical director of the
Howard Arman
Leipzig, den
Mitteldeutscher-Rundfunk-AG (MIRAG), at that time Internationally active and acclaimed as both orchestral
went by the name of “Leipziger Oratorien-Vereini- and choral conductor Howard Arman, born in Lon-

TITION
gung” and was primarily made up of members of don, was appointed artistic director of the MDR Radio
the Leipzig Gewandhaus Choir. Between 1924 and Choir in 1998. He also works with the choruses of the
1931 the ensemble concentrated on the major choral NDR, SWR, RIAS Berlin and ORF. In 1991 he made his

06/07
repertoire, ranging from Mendelssohn’s “St Paul” to debut in the Musikverein Vienna, and conducted the
Schoenberg’s “Gurrelieder”. Occasionally the choir opening of the Salzburg Festival in 1995. In 1996 he
performed a cappella but most of its work consisted was awarded the “Händelpreis” for his re-formation
of choral symphonic works, oratorio and opera. In of the Handel Festival Orchestra in Halle before be-
1942 what had been renamed the “Chor des Reichs- coming its artistic director in 2006. Besides concert
senders Leipzig” was disbanded as were Germany’s work Howard Arman has
remaining radio choruses. Around half the choir’s a special love for opera: so
members were able to continue their broadcasting far in 2006, “Mozart Year”,
careers under the umbrella of the “Bruckner-Chor” he has conducted produc-
which was established in Leipzig and relocated to Linz tions of Don Giovanni in
in the last year of the Second World War. Once the Hong Kong and Finland,
war was over the so-called “Solistenvereinigung” was Così fan tutte for Cologne
reconstituted by Heinrich Werlé and was quickly to Opera, La finta giardiniera
Vorsitzender: GMD Prof. Horst Neumann Jahresmitgliedsbeitrag 36 €
become one of the most important radio choruses in in the Staatsoper Nurem- Schatzmeister: Gisela Kaltofen Rentner, Studenten 24 €

Europe. A not inconsiderable part in this development berg as well as Handel’s Bankverbindung des Vereins:
Stadt- und Kreissparkasse Leipzig BLZ 860 555 92 Kontonummer 11 0069 7175
was played by the conductor Herbert Kegel, to be fol- Admeto as part of the Han-
lowed by Dietrich Knothe, Horst Neumann, Wolf-Dieter del Festival in Halle.
Hauschild, Jörg-Peter Weigle and Gert Frischmuth, This competition has been
all of whom continued this artistic path in exempla- Together with the MDR Choir Howard Arman has made possible by the trustees
ry fashion leading the choir to international acclaim embraced an exceptionally wide-ranging repertoire
within a short time. Leading conductors including extending to virtually everything available written Mrs. Annerose Kegel
Herbert von Karajan, Karl Böhm, Carlos Kleiber and for choir. For recordings of Rachmaninov’s “Vespers” Prof. Dr. h. c. Kurt Masur
Sir Colin Davis have praised the choir’s exceptional and Carl Heinrich Graun’s Passion Cantata “Der Tod Günter Neubert
quality and been happy to work together both in the Jesu” Howard Arman and the MDR Radio Choir re-
concert hall and recording studio. Under its present ceived Germany’s prestigious Echo-Klassik prize in and the
artistic director Howard Arman the choir members 2002 and 2005 respectively.
have tirelessly built on their illustrious past. Perform-
ances both nationally and internationally as well as Translation: Graham Welsh
Introduction
“The world looks to Leipzig” was how the press put
it in December 2005 - albeit in connection with the
football World Cup! - and this is no less true for the
city’s unique cultural importance and flair with its
major musical representatives the Gewandhaus, Leip-
zig Opera, St. Thomas Boys Choir, the Choir and Or-
chestra of the MDR and the University of Music and
Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy”. As Herbert
von Karajan said when recording Wagner’s “Meisters-
inger” in 1970, the Leipzig Radio Choir was the best
thing about Leipzig. Over the last decades right down
to the present day numerous world-class conductors
have been equally unreserved in their praise for the
choir.
Not once in its history stretching over eighty years,
however, has there been a composition competition
for this unique musical ensemble - so now is the
time to make amends. The Friends of the MDR Radio
Choir (Verein der Freunde und Förderer des MDR
Rundfunkchores Leipzig) are pleased to announce
an international composition competition for a work
of a cappella choral music to be written for the MDR
Radio Choir.
GMD Prof. Horst Neumann
The competition
It is the intention of this competition to promote com-
posers of the younger generation. Our aim is to en-
courage interest in choral composition particularly
in connection with the outstanding possibilities of-
fered by the MDR Radio Choir. These are to serve as
an incentive and challenge to those participating in
the competition and will have a bearing in the jury’s
selection criteria. The competition is in accordance
with the remit and constitution of the Friends of the
MDR Radio Choir. The jury’s decision is final and
may not be contested legally.
Competition chairman
GMD Prof. Horst Neumann
c/o Bernd-Michael Gräfe
Freunde und Förderer des MDR Rundfunkchores
Leipzig e.V.
Bechsteinweg 4, 04277 Leipzig, Germany
T +49 (0)341 862 0091
post@freunde-mdrrundfunkchor.de
www.freunde-mdrrundfunkchor.de
Entrance requirements
The competition is open to composers born after 31st
December 1966. Compositions for mixed choir (SATB)
will be eligible with the additional possibility of di-
visi down to solo voices in exceptional circumstances.
Submitted pieces should be without any instrumental
accompaniment; they may have secular or sacred text,
or may be wordless (eg. vocalise or vocally-produced
sounds). Pieces should be of a duration of not less
than 10 and not more than 20 minutes and should
be commensurate with the artistic standards of the
MDR Radio Choir. Texts used must be free from copy-
right restrictions.
Choir disposition
21 sopranos / 17 altos / 16 tenors / 17 basses
Each composer may only submit one work. The work
must be composed specifically for this competition
and should be submitted in a “performance-ready”
version. The winning composition may be premiered
exclusively by the MDR Radio Choir (probably in
the concert season 2007/2008). It is possible that
the compositions of all three award-winners will be
produced on CD.
Deadline for entries: 1ST April 2007 (postmark)
Selection of winners
The jury convened by the committee of the Friends
of the MDR Radio Choir will judge the winning en-
tries. The following prizes may be awarded:
1ST Prize: 3.000 €
2ND Prize: 1.500 €€

3RD Prize: 1.000 €€
Jury members
Prof. Howard Arman
Prof. Horst Neumann
Prof. Hans-Christian Rademann
Prof. Manfred Trojahn
Sebastian Reim
Steffen Schleiermacher