Ullrich, Bill, Grahl, Köninger, WDR Radio Choir, Cologne Chamber Orchestar & Christoph Poppen
Biography Ullrich, Bill, Grahl, Köninger, WDR Radio Choir, Cologne Chamber Orchestar & Christoph Poppen
The Cologne Chamber Orchestra
is renowned for its sensitive and exceptional interpretations. Founded in 1923 with the aim of interpreting works in authentic and faithful ways, it was initially led by Hermann Abendroth and later Erich Kraack, with Helmut Müller-Brühl becoming conductor in 1963. An acclaimed tour of Switzerland with guest pianist Wilhelm Kempff in 1964 marked the beginning of the orchestra’s collaborations with numerous internationally renowned soloists, and the orchestra has subsequently toured Europe, North and South America and Asia. The Cologne Chamber Orchestra has been organising its own subscription series, Das Meisterwerk, in the Cologne Philharmonie for over 30 years.
Germany’s oldest chamber orchestra, it celebrated its 100th birthday in March 2023 in the Cologne Philharmonie with outstanding soloists including Martha Argerich, Michael Barenboim, Mischa Maisky, Daniel Müller-Schott and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Over 200 recordings, radio and television productions document a repertoire of more than 500 masterpieces and rarities. In 2020, Christoph Poppen and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra began a project to record all of Mozart’s Masses alongside the Cologne Cathedral Vocal Ensemble, Cologne Cathedral Choir and the Cologne Radio Choir for Naxos. Christoph Poppen has served as principal conductor since the 2013–14 season.
The WDR Radio Choir
is a professional choir based at the WDR Funkhaus in Cologne. Its repertoire ranges from a cappella pieces to orchestral, including symphonic works, film and computer music, opera and contemporary experimental music. The choir works in collaboration with the WDR orchestras, and is often requested to appear with national and international orchestras for major concerts.
It has given over 170 premieres and first performances of works by composers such as Schoenberg, Henze, Stockhausen, Nono, Boulez, Zimmermann, Penderecki, Xenakis, Berio, Höller, Zender, Eötvös, Hosokawa, Pagh-Paan, Tüür and Mundry. Over the last seven decades, Bernhard Zimmermann, Herbert Schernus, Helmuth Froschauer, Anton Marik, Rupert Huber and Stefan Parkman have served as chief conductor, succeeded in the 2020–21 season by Nicolas Fink. Simon Halsey has been principal guest conductor since the 2023–24 season.
Christoph Poppen
has established an international reputation for innovative and original programming and commitment to contemporary music. A frequent guest conductor, he has appeared with prestigious orchestras and at opera houses around the world. During the 2019–20 season he has served as principal conductor of the Kölner Kammerorchester and principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.
Poppen has held prestigious directorships with orchestras across Germany. From 2001 to 2005 he was artistic director of the ARD International Music Competition and in 2019 he founded the Marvão International Academy for Music Arts and Science. Poppen is currently a professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.
