Arnold Schoenberg Chor

Founded in 1972 by its artistic director Erwin Ortner, the Arnold Schoenberg Choir is one of Austria’s most versatile and sought-after vocal ensembles. Since 2006 it has been the in-house choir of the Theater an der Wien. Its repertoire extends from Renaissance and Baroque music to the present, with a particular focus on contemporary music. The Choir has a particular interest in a cappella repertoire; however, the great choral works with orchestra also regularly feature in its programmes.

Highlights of the Choir’s experiences in staged productions at the Theater an der Wien have included Schubert’s Fierrabras in Ruth Berghaus’s production under the musical direction of Claudio Abbado at the 1988 Wiener Festwochen, Patrice Chéreau’s production (acclaimed by the music periodical Opernwelt) of Janáček’s From the House of the Dead conducted by Pierre Boulez at the 2007 Wiener Festwochen, Handel’s Messiah in Claus Guth’s production under the musical direction of Jean-Christophe Spinosi (2009) and the International Opera Award-winning production of Britten’s Peter Grimes (2016) by Christof Loy, conducted by Cornelius Meister.

Concert engagements have taken the Arnold Schoenberg Choir to Asia and America. The ensemble is a frequent guest at festivals throughout Europe, including the Wiener Festwochen, the Salzburg Festival, Wien Modern, the Carinthian Summer Music Festival and the Styriate.

The Choir’s near-40-year association with Nikolaus Harnoncourt was celebrated in 2002 with a Grammy Award for their recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Other recordings with Harnoncourt include albums of Bach cantatas (nominated for a Grammy in 2010), oratorios by Handel and Haydn, and sacred music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, along with Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and Harnoncourt’s final CD recording, of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis (2016). The Choir’s most recent CD is a recording of Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 and Schubert’s Mass in E major, released on their own label.

In 2017 the Arnold Schoenberg Choir won the award Best Opera Chorus of the Year at the International Opera Awards in London.