“The aim is to cultivate choral music at the very highest international level whilst presenting it as an accessible,
vibrant experience.
This approach will be consistently pursued in the coming years and further developed through specific projects: plans include
world premieres by Michael Ostrzyga and Ola Gjeilo, as well as the further development of innovative concert formats. Sing-along concerts and other participatory
approaches will intensify the interaction with the audience and open up new ways of engaging with choral music. International collaborations will continue to be fostered:
Projects and tours are planned for the 2026/27 season with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Simon Rattle and with B’Rock under René Jacobs. At the same time, the close
partnership with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich and other Swiss orchestras remains a central component of our artistic activities.”
Press release Zurich Sing-Akademie dated 24 April 2026
Florian Helgath has been appointed chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir as of 2027/28.
His first concert as chief conductor he will lead during the NTR Saturday Matinee in December 2027.
Mathilde Watenaar: Dear Professor | The Song of Koios
On 25, 26 and 30 April, Florian Helgath has conducted the Nederlands Kamerkoor for the first time in three concerts in Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg), Haarlem (PHIL) and Amsterdam (Muziekgebouw). A
concert at the Organjewoud Festival on 24 May is oming up.
The programme includes the world premiere of a monumental work in which science and music come together.
Dutch composer Mathilde Watenaar (born 1993) has composed three brand-new pieces, a sequel to her successful chamber opera Dear Professor Einstein (2022), for which librettist Willem Bruls used
letters from children to Albert Einstein. Fascinating personalities such as Aristotle, Alexander von Humboldt, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie and Albert Einstein take us on a journey through
time.
Florian Helgath will lead the CHORWERK RUHR into the future for another three years. He will remain associated with one of the most important chamber choirs in the German-speaking scene as Artistic Director until October 2026.