“The Essen singers have sung it so beautifully, that it is not I who composed the piece.” Thus wrote Brahms in 1885 on the occasion of the first performance of his motet Oh Saviour, open heaven wide.
The Philharmonic Choir of Essen was founded as the Musical Association for Singing (Gesangs-Musikverein) in 1838 by the business man Johann W. G. Nedelmann. It is therefore the oldest artistic organization in the city of Essen and an important element in the cultural life of the Ruhr area. Georg Hendrik Witte, who led the choir from 1871 to 1911, founded the Essen Philharmonic in 1899. The opening of the concert hall in 1904 was also due in no small part to the support of the Essen Musical Association.
Over the years, the choir has traditionally been involved in the Essen Philharmonic’s choral concerts and has also given its own concerts in addition to touring. In 2010 the Philharmonic Choir of Essen took part in a performance of Mahler›s Symphony of a Thousand under the direction of Lorin Maazel as part of the RUHR 2010 Kulturhauptstadtjahr. They also sang in the highly-regarded Mahler cycle given by the Bochum Symphony in the Essen Philharmonie. The choir regularly makes guest appearances in neighbouring cities throughout the Rhein and Ruhr regions.
The choir counts composer Max Bruch, Hendrik G. Witte, and director Stefan Soltesz among its honourary members, along with many founding members and choral directors from the choir’s earliest years.
The Philharmonic Choir is also an umbrella organization for one hundred children who sing in the Aalto Children›s Choir›s various choral groups, thus ensuring that the tradition of choral singing passes on to the new generation.
The choir has been led by Patrick Jaskolka since January 2016, and since 2017 has once again been performing as a chamber choir as well. In that capacity it has taken part in a performance of Krzysztof Penderecki›s Passion According to St. Luke at the 2016 NOW Festival. The composer himself was present at that performance and commented: “The performance of the Passion According to St. Luke in the Essen Philharmonie was one of the best I have ever heard.”
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