CHOIR DIRECTORS

Kai-Uwe Jirka 

has been a professor for choral conducting and the conductor of the at Universität der Künste Berlin. After his studies of sacred music, orchestral conducting, and German studies at Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, he worked at Niedersächsische Staatsoper from 1999 to 2001. As a conductor, he has worked with such ensembles as Rundfunkchor Berlin, Hilliard Ensemble, Vocalconsort Berlin, and with orchestras such as Lautten Compagney und Niedersächsisches Staatsorchester. He has served as choral conductor for such conductors like Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, and Ton Koopman. He has been Sing-Akademie zu Berlin’s director since 2006.

Friederike Stahmer 

started learning the piano, violin and singing in early childhood. She trained as a voice teacher and choral conductor at UdK Berlin as well as in masterclasses with Volker Hempfling and Gary Graden. Additionally, she also holds a degree in economics from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. As assistant conductor of the Karl-Foster-Chor, she rehearsed numerous choral works, for example for Eurochor 2003 and the opera chorus of Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg in 2002. In 2009, Friederike Stahmer was appointed professor of choral conducting for children and young adults at Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover.