RIAS Chamber Choir
The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in October 2023, is one of the most renowned professional choirs in the world. Numerous awards and prizes document the choir’s high international reputation.34 professional singers make up the multinational ensemble, which is known for its outstanding and precise sound. Its repertoire ranges from Renaissance and Baroque music to works from the Classical and Romantic eras, together with regular world premieres. Since 2017 Justin Doyle has been its chief conductor and artistic director. New releases include Johannes Brahms’ two Liebeslieder cycles as well as Handel’s Coronation Anthems. With around 50 concerts a year nationally and internationally, the RIAS Kammerchor is a major cultural ambassador for the country. The Choir performs frequently with ensembles such as AKAMUS and the FBO as well as conductors as Marcus Creed, Daniel Reuss, Hans-Christoph Rademann, René Jacobs and Iván Fischer. The RIAS Kammerchor Berlin is an ensemble of the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre gGmbH (ROC). Other partners are Deutschlandradio, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Berlin and the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg broadcasting company.
We asked in May few questions from the Managing Director of RIAS.
Who are You and what are Your main activities at the moment?
My name is Bernhard Heß and I am the Managing Director of RIAS Kammerchor Berlin. At the moment we are busy finalising the work on our brochure for the upcoming season, where we will also announce our debut in Helsinki. Starting next week, a tour with Gluck's Orfeo will take us to Spain for four more concerts.
What is the importance of collaborating internationally amongst arts or other fields - or is it important?
International cooperations broaden the horizon not only musically but also interpersonally.
What do You expect from Helsinki Early Music Festival X?
We are very grateful to be invited in the Helsinki Early Music Festival. It will be at the one hand our concert debut in Finland, on the other hand our first collaboration with the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, which we are looking forward to with great anticipation.
