Contract signing ceremony in Wernigerode © Stadt Wernigerode

Wernigerode attracts singers from all over the world once again

12th International Johannes Brahms Choir Festival and Competition from July 5-9, 2023 

Johannes Brahms Int. Choir Festival & Competition

Four years after the last international choir festival in Wernigerode, choirs from all over the world will finally visit the "colorful city on the Harz Mountains" again in July 2023 and enchant the local people with their voices and culture. 

On March 14, 2023, the long-standing partners INTERKULTUR and the city of Wernigerode sealed the renewed cooperation for the successful International Johannes Brahms Choir Festival & Competition. Wernigerode Mayor Tobias Kascha, as well as Peter Habermann as Artistic Director of the festival and Prof. Dr. Ralf Eisenbeiß, INTERKULTUR Honorary Artistic President, met in Wernigerode's town hall to sign the cooperation agreement. Also this year, Managing Director Steffen Meinecke promised the support of the festival by the Stadtwerke Wernigerode as main sponsor.

Already for the 12th time, the festival will attract a wide variety of choirs from all over the world to Wernigerode in the summer of 2023, making it one of INTERKULTUR's most traditional choral events. From July 5 to 9, 2023, a total of 24 choirs from 17 nations will present a wide range of different styles of international choral music to the audience. 

For the first time, the competitions and a large part of the events will take place in the new Liebfrauen Concert Hall, which particularly excites Artistic Director Peter Habermann: 

"The new concert hall offers very good opportunities for all kinds of music in Wernigerode, which we would naturally like to take advantage of with the Johannes Brahms Choir Festival & Competition. So I am very pleased that, in addition to the final concert of the choral conducting seminar with the Rundfunk-Jugendchor Wernigerode, the Opening Concert of the festival will also take place here, which on top of that will be performed by the largest and most traditional choir of public broadcasting, the MDR-Rundfunkchor. We will also invite outstanding participating choirs of the festival to the new concert hall, which will then present their skills in another festive Gala Concert."

At the same time, the people of Wernigerode can also look forward to the many established highlights of the event: the Charity Concert in the Halberstadt Cathedral, featuring the Kammerchor Wernigerode among others, is on the program, as is the traditional Folklore Night with music from around the world in Wernigerode's market square. The final Grand Prize Competition of the best choirs in the Stadtfeldhalle and the subsequent Awards Ceremony in front of the town hall will also provide unforgettable highlights for audience and participants alike.

Further information about the event is avaible here.

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