- in memoriam -

Former President of Germany

Walter Scheel was born on July 8, 1919 in Solingen.

Scheel, who joined the political party FDP already in 1946, was a member of the North-Rhine state parliament from 1950-1953. From 1953 to 1974 he was a member of the Bundestag over which he presided from 1967-1969 as a vice president. From 1958-1961 Scheel was also operating in the European Parlament.

Walter Scheel took his first governmental office in 1961 as a minister for economic cooperation. In 1968 the FDP party congress elected Scheel as the party’s chairman. In this position he worked on giving the liberals a new profile which led to an opening towards the SPD and laid the foundation for the future governing coalition.

Under Willy Brandt Scheel was announced foreign minister and Vice Chancellor from 1969-1974. Scheel visited Israel in 1971 as the first German foreign minister. One year later he started the diplomatic relationship with China. 

In May 1974 Scheel was elected 4th Federal President. He handed his functions regarding party and government over to Hans Dietrich Genscher and officiated as the Head of State until 1979.After his mandate Scheel remained politically active and engaged in numerous honorary appointments and boards.

Walter Scheel received the Karl Award by the city of Aachen in 1977. The city honoured his "credits regarding the responsible cooperation of Germany within the European Community and his tireless striving to consolidate and develop this cooperation among the European nations". Walter Scheel passed away in 2016.

Further information about Walter Scheel is available at www.bundespraesident.de 

President of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council, founder and president of the World Choir Games

It all begins in 1990 with the foundation of the INTERKULTUR association, which Günter Titsch, born in 1946 and a passionate choir singer, brought into being at that time. He is driven by the vision to connect people from all over the world through music and to bring together choir singers across all borders and differences in peaceful competition.

After various professional stations and experiences, the first International Choir Competition initiated by Titsch in 1988 in Budapest acted as an igniting spark. Such a competition across the East-West divide is an absolute novelty and the foundation stone for the association founded two years later, which is dedicated to establishing international choral events.

In the decades that followed, Günter Titsch and his competent international team develop the INTERKULTUR choral events into the largest and most successful cultural event series in the world. Under the motto Singing together brings nations together, Titsch's organizing team brings together nearly 10,500 choirs with almost 450,000 active singers from 108 countries to this day (11/2022). INTERKULTUR events become magnets on all continents.

Openness for everyone, equality of opportunity in access as well as in competition - these are the principles followed by the ancient Olympic Games. They constituted participation as the highest honor. The INTERKULTUR events inspired by Titsch also follow these principles. They are open to all choirs, regardless of their previous competition experience.

An outstanding international success in the 2000s is the idea of the "Choir Olympics" based on the ancient model of the Olympic Games of sports. This event, which later becomes known as the "World Choir Games", surpasses anything that has ever been seen before in the field of choral music and, after its launch, goes on a successful course around the world: Austria, the Republic of Korea, Germany, China, the USA, Latvia, Russia, South Africa and Belgium are stations of this unique event until 2021. Future hosts will be the city of Gangneung, Republic of Korea in 2023 and Auckland in New Zealand in 2024.

Competitions like the World Choir Games bring together people of different cultural, political and religious backgrounds on the common denominator of enthusiasm for singing in choirs. This creates opportunities to test stereotypes and replace them with self-gained judgments, sometimes spectacularly. Choirs from South and North Korea, from Israel and Iran perform together on stage, setting signs for peace in friendship concerts.

Titsch's vision is understood and appreciated. In the universal choral community as well as by outstanding representatives of culture and among state leaders. His achievements as a developer of new ideas and his successes as an entrepreneur are exemplarily confirmed by awards at home and abroad. In 2012, Federal President Joachim Gauck awards him the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his credits as a "voluntary ambassador of culture". In 2009, he becomes one of the first Europeans to be made an honorary citizen of Xiamen, China. This is an extremely prestigious recognition of his commitment to the cultural exchange of the People's Republic of China on an international level. In 2006, he accepts the European Culture Award on behalf of INTERKULTUR, once established by former German Interior Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was born in 1952 in Zeulenroda. After his secondary school examination he studied pedagogy, German philology and musical education. He received his PhD in 1979 at the Pedagogical University of Zwickau. From 1978 to 1981, he studied choir and orchestra conducting at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Weimar.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was working as the director of the choral department at the Pedagogical University in Zwickau and appointed professor for choir conducting and choral singing in 1987. He was conductor of the renowned Pedagogical University Zwickau Choir. With his choir he performed a wide repertoire of compositions for a cappella choirs and with orchestra, too. Under his direction the choir won numerous prizes at national and international choir competitions.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was lecturer at the central seminar for choral conductors in Berlin and organized numerous workshops himself. He often appears as guest conductor at home and abroad. Since almost 30 years he works as artistic director of INTERKULTUR. Ralf Eisenbeiß is founder of the Int. Robert Schumann Choir Competition in Zwickau and one of the founders of the World Choir Games. Since 1992 he was responsible for more than 150 international competitions of INTERKULTUR in Germany, Italy, Korea, Indonesia, China, Austria, Spain, USA and other countries. Ralf Eisenbeiß is very often invited as a juror in national and other international choir competitions all over the world.

The music of Morten Lauridsen, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, occupies a permanent place in the standard vocal repertoire of the Twenty-First Century.  His seven vocal cycles, instrumental works and his series of a cappella sacred motets (including O Magnum Mysterium) are regularly performed throughout the world by distinguished artists and ensembles and have been recorded on over two hundred CDs. His five Grammy nominations include two recordings named "Lux Aeterna" performed by top-class ensembles.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Lauridsen first worked as a fire-fighter and staff member of the Forest Service near Mount St. Helens before coming to Los Angeles in order to study composition with Ingolf Dahl, Halsey Stevens, Robert Linn and Harold Owen. He chaired the Department of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music from 1990-2002 and founded the School’s Advanced Studies Program in Film Scoring.

His choral works "O Magnum Mysterium", "Dirait-on", "O Nata Lux" and "Sure On This Shining Night" are the all-time bestsellers. His life as a composer was documented in an award-winning film by Michael Stillwater, "Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen," released in 2012.

In 2006, Morten Lauridsen was named an "American Choral Master" by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2007 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest artistic award in the United States, by the President in a White House ceremony “for his composition of radiant choral works combining musical beauty, power, and spiritual depth.” He now divides his time between Los Angeles and his summer cabin on a remote island off the northwest coast of Washington State.

More information on Mr. Lauridsen at www.mortenlauridsen.net

Professor Zheng Xiaoying, first ever female orchestra conductor in China. She was the former artistic director and chief conductor of Xiamen philharmonic orchestra, chief conductor of China National Opera House, dean of China Central Conservatory of Music conducting department and music director of ‘philharmonic female’ orchestra. She was also the artistic director of the 4th and 6th World Choir Games in the year of 2006 and 2010 respectively.

Zheng Xiaoying graduated from China Central Conservatory of Music, attended further education in National Moscow Conservatory of Music in Soviet Union for opera and symphony orchestra conducting. She was honored by the National Culture Department a first prize as excellent conductor, as well as French Literature Art Medal of Honor, China-Russia Friendship Medal twice and etc. As a conductor, she participated often in national important events. She is not only one of the most experienced conducting professors in China, but also an enthusiastic music social activist.

Zheng Xiaoying was recently honored Special Contribution Award for Chinese opera career, Lifetime Achievement Award by Chinese Musicians Association, the title of ‘Chinese Culture Figure’ in 2012 and ‘Lifetime Honorary Conductor’ by China National Opera House in 2014.

Born in London in 1945 he received his first musical education as a chorister at Highgate School. His compositional career has embraced both large and small-scale choral works, orchestral and instrumental pieces, a piano concerto, two children’s operas, music for television, and specialist writing for such groups as the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the King’s Singers.

John Rutter co-edited four volumes in the Carols for Choirs series with Sir David Willcocks, and, more recently, has edited the first two volumes in the new Oxford Choral Classics series, Opera Choruses (1995) and European Sacred Music (1996).

He has guest-conducted or lectured at many concert halls, universities, churches, music festivals, and conferences in Europe, Africa, North and Central America and Australasia.

Following his early passion for the world of choral music, Maestro Hakwon Yoon graduated from Yonsei University, College of Music in composition, completed Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts, and acquired an honorary doctorate degree from the Midwest University and Shepherd University. Dr. Yoon started his career as a conductor in 1970 when he led the World Vision Children’s Choir. While conducting choirs such as the Daewoo choir, the Seoul Ladies’ Singers and the Incheon City Chorale, he aimed to close the gap between Korean and global choral music by spreading Korean choral music throughout the whole world. At the same time, he aimed to popularize choral music in South Korea, which was formerly considered as an exclusive activity of a certain social class.

Maestro Yoon’s numerous choral activities include amongst other his engagement as the Chairman of the Board for Korean Federation for Choral Music, President of the KCMA, permanent conductor of the Daewoo Choir, Director of the IFCM and Dean of the College of Music at the Chung-Ang University. Currently, he dedicates his time to choral music e.g. as an Honorary Professor at the Chung Ang University, Art Director of Seoul Ladies’ Singers, Director of Korean Choral Conductor’s Academy, and as the newly elected Honorary Artistic President of INTERKULTUR.

- in memoriam -

Mikis Theodorakis, the famous Greek composer and song writer, was born in 1925. He wrote more than 1000 songs which combine Greek folk tradition with modern poetry. He also created a number of orchestral works including seven symphonies. Apart from his songs he is well-known for his great choral works, for instance Canto General (1982) (text by Pablo Neruda) and the oratorio "Axion Esti" (1960) (text by Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis). His soundtrack for Zorba the Greek (1964) made him famous all over the world.

Mikis Theodorakis passed away on September 2, 2021 at the age of 96.

- in memoriam -

Christian Ljunggren was born in 1942. He studied music at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm as well as musicology and theology at the University of Uppsala. For many years he worked at the Music Department of the Swedish National Broadcasting Company, and was responsible for the presentation and programming regarding music.

He was the conductor of the Adolf Fredrik Madrigal Choir since their foundation (1965 and 1974). He was the first President of the Swedish Choral Directors Association (1986 – 1998) and President of KÖRSAM, the joint committee of the Swedish choral organisations (1997 – 2004). From 1997-1999  he worked for the of IFCM, the International Federation for Choral Music, as the Secretary General from 1997-1999 and as a liaison officer (until 2005).

He was one of the Artistic Directors of INTERKULTUR and the Artistic Director of the World Choir Games. Due to his engagement as a clinician for seminars and workshops around the world and having built up the INTERKULTUR series of seminars in China the Swede gained growing recognition since 2003.

Christian Ljunggren has written numerous articles in Swedish and international magazines and was also a keen arranger of choral music.

- in memoriam -

As a choral conductor and later a grammar school teacher Paul Wehrle made significant contributions to the development of the choral and musical scene in his home town Karlsruhe and later throughout Germany.

At the Helmholtz-Gymnasium in Karlsruhe he established the musical discipline and in 1979 he conducted the first Abitur examination in this subject. Wehrle also had conducted the school’s chamber choir since the end of World War II and achieved great success and high appreciation at both national and international level.

Working for music in general and choral music in particular Wehrle acted in institutions that since decades have been instrumental in shaping the international music scene. He was Secretary General of the “European Choral Association” (Europa Cantat) from 1963 to 1976 and he laid the foundations for the “International Federation for Choral Music” (IFCM) whose first President he became in 1982. Also the World Symposium on Choral Music is based on Paul Wehrle’s idea.

Paul Wehrle was a tireless visionary and motivator who was able to arrange a national choral competition in the German Music Council and to establish solo singing at “Jugend musiziert” (German music competition). Paul Wehrle received multiple awards for his wide commitment: 1983 he was awarded the Medal of Merit of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, in 2007 the Golden Staufer Medal and in 1989 he received the Federal Cross of Merit First Class.

For INTERKULTUR Paul Wehrle was one of the pioneers for the World Choir Games and since the year 2000 his valuable support and advice had played a part in establishing the “Olympics of the Choirs”. The idea of the World Choir Council, an advisory board consisting of representatives from more than 90 nations by now, comes from Wehrle as well.

To the last Paul Wehrle was available as a tireless contact person and idea contributor for INTERKULTUR and enthusiastically observed our progression.

- in memoriam -

Eric Ericson has been called the nestor of Swedish choral music, and had a huge international influence both as a conductor and a teacher. In 1945 he formed his “Kammarkören” (present name Eric Ericson Chamber Choir) which, pursuing ambitious artistic aims, became a model for future chamber choirs. He was surrounded by a generation of Swedish composers like Sven-Erik Bäck, Ingvar Lidholm and Lars Edlund, who wrote pieces for this ensemble and later on for the Swedish Radio Choir. With the Swedish Radio Choir and the male choir OD (Orphei Drängar) he gained an enormous international reputation. His record collection “Europäische Chormusik” (1971) has had a big influence on conductors around the world. Eric Ericson passed away in 2013.

- in memoriam -

Prof. Yang Hongnian is a Chinese famous conductor and educator. His conducting style is enthusiastic, delicate and with extremely rich expression. He attracts all the admiration and appraise from music lovers and experts home and broad for not only his unique conducting style but also outstanding skill and considerable culture in training choirs. He is known as the ‘master who truly understands the profound knowledge and secrets of choral art’.

Since the mid-1980s, the Children and Young Women’s Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra Prof. Yang Hongnian founded has performed all over the world, and is considered the three best children’s choirs in the world. Prof. Yang Hongnian is also the artistic director and permanent conductor of the choir. As a conductor, Prof. Yang has won global recognition through numerous performances on national and international stages. He frequently sits on judging committees for various choral music competitions. He was given the honorary title ‘Chinese Culture Figure’ in 2014.

Prof. Yang Hongnian passed away on 26 July 2020 at the age of 86.