The National Youth Choir of Germany (BJC) was founded in 2021 by the German Music Council with a kick-off concert at the Philharmonie Berlin, with the aim of promoting excellent young singers. Every year, around 50 outstanding young choral singers between the ages of 18 and 26 work intensively to present several challenging concert programs, comprising works ranging from the Renaissance to the present day. The artistic direction is in the hands of Anne Kohler, who is responsible for stylistically confident musical interpretations and a continuous vocal pedagogical effort aimed at maintaining the characteristic homogeneous sound of the National Youth Choir. The National Youth Choir receives further musical inspiration from guest conductors, collaborations with other professional ensembles and encounters with international youth choirs.
Since the founding concert at the Philharmonie Berlin in August 2021, the choir has already performed with the SWR Vokalensemble under the direction of Yuval Weinberg, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the direction of Robin Ticciati, the Polish National Youth Choir (PNChM) under the direction of Agnieszka Franków-Zelazny and has appeared at international music festivals. These include the Lausitz Festival, the Ansbach Bach Week, the Heidelberg Spring Festival, the Eutin-Plön Bach Festival, the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf and the International Children's and Youth Choir Festival in Hanover. Concerts have taken the Bundesjugendchor to the Philharmonie Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Limburg Cathedral and to Görlitz, Wroclaw and Kraków. A concert tour with a collaboration with the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir under the direction of Cecilia Martin-Löf in Sweden is planned for fall 2024. Five works have already been written for the National Youth Choir of Germany by Kathrin A. Denner, Jan Kopp, Roxanna Panufnik and two compositions by Elisabeth Fußeder. The National Youth Choir of Germany’s debut CD "Waldeslust" under the direction of Anne Kohler has been released by Carus-Verlag in April 2024.
In summer 2025, the National Youth Choir will perform as an opera choir for the first time in Weikersheim. Interested singers who would like to join for the opera choir and beyond are welcome to apply to take part in the National Youth Choir of Germany via this link until October 1, 2024.
The National Youth Choir of Germany is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). Further funding is granted by the Mercedes-Benz Group, the GVL (German Collecting Society for Performing Rights), and the unisono (German Music and Orchestra Union).
