The Dresden University Choir (Universitätschor Dresden e.V.) is one of the oldest cultural ensembles at TU Dresden. Since its foundation during the university’s reconstruction following the Second World War, the choir has shaped cultural life in Dresden through its varied programme and has made an impact far beyond the city’s borders. As a member of the Association of German Concert Choirs, it contributes to the preservation of valuable choral music from all eras, genres and styles through performances of high artistic quality. In addition to its regular term concerts, the choir is distinguished by its active participation in the regional music scene and is a multiple winner of the Dresden Amateur Choirs’ Sponsorship Award.
The strong musical background of many of the students singing in the choir allows for the existence, alongside the large symphonic choir, of a highly motivated chamber choir comprising around 30 singers, which embodies stylistic openness at a high musical level. Former conductor Christiane Büttig succeeded in sharpening the chamber choir’s musical profile when she took over the ensemble in the summer of 2012. She founded the concert series “Regel|Freiheit”, which skilfully brings classical and contemporary music into dialogue. For example, works by Cage, Hindemith, Krenek, Nystedt, Rautavaara, Stockhausen, Tormis and Vasks stand in contrast to compositions by Bach, Brahms, Dowland, Mendelssohn, Reger and Schubert.
Various projects and collaborations have taken the chamber choir to German choral festivals in Magdeburg and Lübeck, amongst other venues, as well as beyond the country’s borders to the renowned Kollegienkirche in Salzburg. In 2017, the chamber choir reached a particular high point with a joint concert featuring the Dresden Stahl Quartet.
Under the direction of Benedikt Kantert, the amateur choir ensemble continues to develop its musical standards and is also seeking to gain experience at a competitive level, for example at the International Choir Competition in Spittal an der Drau.