Sing Along! Choir Festival

Our Sing Along Concerts in Vienna and Salzburg offer individual singers and choirs the opportunity to perform an important work of choral music in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral or Salzburg Cathedral in a professionally organized concert. For 20 years, individual amateur singers and choirs from all over the world come to Austria to be part of this unique Sing Along experience.

Under the direction of a renowned choirmaster you will be studying the relevant piece for several days in rehearsals during the Sing Along! Choir Festival. As part of the Sing Along! Festival Choir newly formed for each piece, you will then perform the work together with your fellow international singers, the Cathedral Orchestra and renowned soloists in a festive final concert in front of a broad audience in Vienna's St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

Meet The Artistic Directors

Erasmus Baumgartner

Artistic Director of the Vienna Boys Choir
Artistic Director of the Sing Alongs in Vienna

János Czifra

Domkapellmeister at Salzburg Cathedral 1987-2022
Artistic Director of Sing Alongs

Kim Cooper

singer, composer and producer
Artistic Director of the Gospel Sing along! Choir Festival

David Wordsworth

Artistic Director of the English Sing along! Choir Festivals

Johannes Pell

Choirmaster of the Vienna Boys’ Choir
Artistic Director of the Sing Alongs in Vienna

Sing Along! Gallery

Sing Along! Gospel Edition
19 to 21 November 2026 | St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

ONLINE-REGISTRATION

Sing together, experience together: The ‘Sing mit! Gospel Edition’ is all about the joy of singing. Under the direction of the internationally renowned gospel icon Kim Cooper, a thrilling concert experience takes shape. The songs are rehearsed together in a relaxed atmosphere – no prior experience is necessary. The focus is on energy, community and the raw power of gospel music.

You will work on the songs together with Kom Cooper over several days in workshops. You will then perform them as part of the ‘Sing Mit!’ gospel choir, which will have been formed over the course of those days, accompanied by a jazz ensemble and with Kim Cooper as lead singer, in a grand evening concert at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.

Programme

The programme takes us on a journey through the history of gospel – from its roots right up to the chart hits of the modern gospel scene.
Together, we’ll immerse ourselves in traditional Black American gospel songs and spirituals such as ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘Down by the Riverside’ and ‘I Get Joy When I Think About’, and let ourselves be swept away by ‘Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho’.
We’ll groove to Kirk Franklin’s I Smile and Stomp, celebrate the global hit Oh Happy Day, and bridge the gap to classical music with the energetic ode to Beethoven: Joyful, Joyful.
The programme is rounded off by three modern gospel compositions by Kim Cooper and Anthony Löwstedt: Think About It, Looking Good for Jesus and He Is the One.

Schedule

Kim Cooper

singer, composer and producer

Kim Cooper is an American singer, composer and producer. In the 1990s and 2000s, she was a member of the soul/jazz/pop vocal trio The Rounder Girls, who represented Austria at the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. Cooper has lived and worked in Austria since 1985.

Kim Cooper grew up in Harlem (New York City) and Long Island in the USA. As a child, she was musically influenced by her uncle, the jazz drummer Percy Bride. Later, she came into contact with various genres such as soul, jazz, Latin and disco. From the late 1970s, she performed on musical and theatre stages in New York before moving to Vienna in 1985 for personal reasons.

In the 1990s, she was a member of the Viennese Eurodance group ‘Beat 4 Feet’, which featured in the Austrian charts on several occasions during that decade, as well as the bands “Naniamé” and ‘Sanza’. Together with her partner Anthony Löwstedt, she formed the duo ‘Loco’ and co-wrote lyrics with him. She continued her musical career with the dancefloor sounds of “Danube Dance” and “Club 69”, alongside Grammy-winning producer Peter Rauhofer, and with international hits such as “Unique”, “Let Me Be Your Underwear”, “Drama” and “Diva”. In 2022, Beyoncé sampled “Unique” in the tracks “Alien Superstar” and “Cozy” on her album “Renaissance”.

Kim Cooper became best known through the group “The Rounder Girls”, which she founded in 1993 together with Lynne Kieran and Tini Kainrath. The trio performed, among other occasions, during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Vienna in 1998 and represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 in Stockholm, where they finished in 14th place. In 2009, the trio appeared in the ORF comedy series ‘Der wilde Gärtner’. In 2013, the group disbanded following the sudden death of Lynne Kieran.

Following her time with the Rounder Girls, Cooper produced *A Tribute to Black Icons*, a revue featuring mainly American and British soul music by artists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder, in which she also performed on stage herself. From 2016 to 2018, Kim Cooper performed her solo musical comedy show *Sag es auf Germlish* on stages across Austria. Since 2017, Cooper has been part of the group ‘Viennese Ladies’, whose first album was released in 2023.

Concert at St. Stephen's Cathedral

The grand finale of the 48th Sing Along! Choir Festival is the performance of the rehearsed Gospel songs in St. Stephen's Cathedral. In this way, you continue the tradition of music in the cathedral and follow in the footsteps of great composers. It was in St. Stephen's Cathedral that Joseph and his brother Michael Haydn received extensive musical training as choirboys. Joseph Haydn married here, as did Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For Mozart, St. Stephen's Cathedral played an important role throughout his life, especially when he lived in the nearby Figaro House, but also after his death: He married Constanze Weber here, had two of his children baptized in the cathedral and a few months before his death, Mozart applied for the position of music director adjunct at St. Stephen's. Mozart's name can be found both in the record of his death and in the cathedral's Book of Death Fees. Apart from Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Antonio Salieri, Franz Schubert and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are also recorded here in the Book of the Dead.

To the Concert

Scores and Practicing

We’ve put together a playlist on YouTube to help you get in the mood for the choir festival: YouTube Playlist

This playlist, along with the song lyrics and entry points is also great for preparation—these are automatically included in your registration and will be sent to you after you sign up. Please be aware though that the playlist cannot 100% reflect how the pieces will be sung in the concert; Kim will practise this with you in the rehearsals.

The true gospel experience is all about the joy of singing, so no ability to read music is required for this choir festival, and there is no songbook. As is customary at gospel concerts, the performance takes place without sheet music or lyrics.

L. v. Beethoven: Mass in C major
8 to 10 July 2027 | St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

Registration for "Beethoven, Mass in C major" in Vienna will open shortly!

In the Beethoven Year 2027, come and sing his Mass in C major as part of the ‘Sing Mit!’ Festival Choir at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. To mark the 200th anniversary of L. v. Beethoven’s birth, you will rehearse the very work of which Beethoven himself said it treated the text ‘in a way that has rarely been done before’. It is precisely in Prince Esterházy’s initial rejection that the revolutionary character of the Mass in C major is expressed.

You will work on the piece during the ‘Sing Along!’ choir festival in workshops lasting several days, led by Erasmus Baumgartner, and will then perform it together with the Vienna Cathedral Orchestra and renowned soloists as a gala closing concert at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.

Repertoire and Composers

Repertoire

L. v. Beethoven: Mass in C major, op. 86

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) did not turn his hand to church music until relatively late in life, although he had already worked as an organist at various churches during his time in Bonn and later served as organist at the Electoral Court. With only two masses, Beethoven’s output of church music is not particularly extensive. Both masses – the Mass in C, Op. 86 (1807), and the Missa solemnis in D, Op. 123 (1819–1823) – were, moreover, commissioned works. Ludwig van Beethoven was commissioned by the music-loving Prince Nikolaus II von Esterházy (1765–1833) to compose a festive mass for the name day of his wife, Princess Maria Josepha Hermenegild von Liechtenstein, on 8 September 1807. Beethoven probably began work on the Credo of the Mass in C in the winter of 1806–1807 – he completed the score by the end of August 1807. Beethoven is thought to have stayed in Eisenstadt from 10 to 16 September 1807. However, his stay in Eisenstadt turned out to be a complete disaster for him: on the one hand, Beethoven’s accommodation there was not exactly befitting his status; on the other, the rehearsals proved extremely arduous due to faulty performance materials. And finally, Beethoven’s composition was a complete failure at its world premiere on 13 September 1807 in the Bergkirche in Eisenstadt. There, it provoked widespread bewilderment amongst the audience, both local and from further afield. The royal family, who had taken great pleasure in Haydn’s cheerful, devout and serene masses, showed little enthusiasm for Beethoven’s Mass: the old European aristocracy could make little of such revolutionary ideas. On 22 December 1808, the Mass in C was performed for the first time as a concert work at the Theater an der Wien, where it also received only a lukewarm reception. It was not until a performance in Grätz/Troppau for the Lichnowsky princely family on 18 September 1811 that the Mass was finally a success.

Composed in the traditional festive key of C major, the work is divided into six movements: Kyrie – Gloria (Qui tollis – Quoniam) – Credo – Sanctus (Benedictus – Osanna) – Agnus Dei (Dona nobis pacem). The six movements are self-contained and contain no arias; even the tenor arioso in the Credo comprises only a few bars. The work is characterised by pronounced dynamics, drama, colour and contrast. Through his approach of capturing the precise meaning of every single word of the Latin text and interpreting it through his musical setting, he opened up new realms of expression for the liturgical text.

It was not until shortly before the first edition was published in 1812 that Beethoven decided on the dedicatee. Beethoven withdrew the dedication originally intended for Prince Esterházy or his wife. Following the unsuccessful premiere, relations between Beethoven and the House of Esterházy had, understandably, cooled considerably, so Beethoven sought a new dedicatee, whom he found in May 1812 in his financial patron, Ferdinand Johann Nepomuk, Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. In the autumn of 1812, the score was published with the Latin text and an additional German text by the theologian Christian Schreiber, who combined the six parts of the Mass into three hymns (Hymn 1: Kyrie, Gloria / Hymn 2: Credo / Hymn 3: Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei). Although Beethoven himself had suggested the German version, he expressed criticism of it in a letter – for he considered the musical treatment of the liturgical text to be of particular importance, and this was partly lost in the translation into German.

Composers

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Ludwig van Beethoven was probably born on 16 December 1770 in Bonn to a family of musicians; he was baptised on 17 December 1770. His father, Johann van Beethoven, was a tenor in the Electoral Court Orchestra in Bonn, whilst his grandfather, Ludwig van Beethoven, was the court Kapellmeister in Bonn. When Ludwig van Beethoven was 11 years old, he became an assistant to the court organist Christian Gottlob Neefe; after just a few months, he became his principal pupil and officially stood in for him at the organ whenever the latter was unable to attend. From 1783, he played the viola and harpsichord in the Elector’s orchestra. Presumably on Neefe’s recommendation, Ludwig van Beethoven received an invitation to Vienna in 1787 to become one of Mozart’s composition pupils. However, the journey was ill-fated. Although Mozart predicted a great future for him, after just a few weeks Beethoven learnt that his mother was terminally ill and returned to Bonn.

When Joseph Haydn stopped off in Bonn on his return journey from England to Vienna in July 1792, Beethoven had the opportunity to play for him. Haydn invited Beethoven to Vienna in 1792, and Beethoven accepted the offer, turning his back on Bonn for good. On the recommendation of Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, he soon found support from aristocratic music lovers who helped him to gain a foothold in his new home. Until Haydn’s return to London in early 1794, Beethoven studied composition with him; he subsequently took lessons in counterpoint with Albrechtsberger, whilst also beginning his studies in Italian vocal composition with Antonio Salieri as early as 1792. In 1795, Ludwig van Beethoven performed his own piano compositions for the first time in the homes of the aristocracy. Within a short space of time, he earned the highest regard and, thanks to the support of his patrons, was now able to work as a freelance composer.

In 1795, the first signs of a progressive hearing loss became apparent in Beethoven, causing him to become increasingly reclusive; this led to severe hearing loss in 1808 and, finally, to complete deafness in 1819. In October 1802, in his flat at 6 Probstgasse, he wrote the ‘Heiligenstadt Testament’, a letter to his brothers which stands as a poignant account of his helplessness in the face of his physical and mental condition. From 1808 onwards, Beethoven gave no more public concerts; in the years that followed, communication with him was only possible in writing. Beethoven remained a bachelor throughout his life, although in 1815, when his brother Caspar died, he assumed guardianship of his 9-year-old son Karl, together with Caspar’s wife Johanna.

He completed his final work, a string quartet, in 1826. He died on 26 March 1827. On the day of his funeral in Währing, schools in Vienna remained closed. Thousands of people turned out to pay their last respects. In 1888, Beethoven’s remains were transferred to a grave of honour at Vienna’s Central Cemetery. Among his extensive concertante works, his nine symphonies and his piano works stand out in particular, especially the five piano concertos and 32 piano sonatas. He also composed, amongst other things, a violin concerto, the opera Fidelio, the Missa solemnis and a large number of chamber music works.

Schedule

Erasmus Baumgartner

Vienna Boys Choir, Artistic Director

Erasmus Baumgartner has been the Artistic Director of the Vienna Boys Choir and Campus Augarten since 2023.

Erasmus Baumgartner received his first musical training as a choirboy at St. Florian Abbey in Upper Austria. At the age of 17, he began studying conducting and singing at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, from which he graduated with distinction in 2002. He later completed a master's degree in instrumental and vocal pedagogy at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, also with distinction.

Erasmus Baumgartner has taught at music schools and grammar schools, with the Vienna Boys' Choir and at the Vienna State Opera.

As a chorister, he sang at the Salzburg Festival: in 1987 as a choirboy under Herbert von Karajan and in 2008 as an adult under Seiji Ozawa and Franz Welser-Möst. While still a student, Baumgartner founded the internationally acclaimed "Academy Singers", a choir of 50 young singers from all over Upper Austria. From 2009 to 2012, he was the Artistic Director of the Juvenis choir in Schärding.

In 2014, he became assistant and deputy to Gerald Wirth.

Vienna Cathedral Orchestra

The Vienna Cathedral Orchestra is made up of musicians from all the major Viennese orchestras. The spectrum ranges from chamber music ensembles to the romantic symphony orchestra. At the Sunday High Masses, at many other services organized by the Cathedral Music, at special events and at the concerts of the Cathedral Music, the Cathedral Orchestra is the partner of soloists and choir.

The history of music in St. Stephen's Cathedral probably goes back as far as liturgy has been celebrated in this church, i.e. at least 870 years! The first documented mention of the organized church music is in the abbey letter of Duke Rudolf IV from the year 1365, in which in connection with the establishment of a collegiate chapter (today's cathedral chapter) also a cantor is mentioned, who was responsible for choirmaster, choristers and pupils (Stephaner Sängerknaben). Among the prominent musicians who were active at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Johann Joseph Fux, the brothers Michael and Joseph Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadé Mozart may be mentioned.

Concert at St. Stephen's Cathedral

The grand finale of the 49th Sing Along! Choir Festival is the performance of the Mass in C major in St. Stephen's Cathedral. In this way, you continue the tradition of music in the cathedral and follow in the footsteps of great composers. It was in St. Stephen's Cathedral that Joseph and his brother Michael Haydn received extensive musical training as choirboys. Joseph Haydn married here, as did Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For Mozart, St. Stephen's Cathedral played an important role throughout his life, especially when he lived in the nearby Figaro House, but also after his death: He married Constanze Weber here, had two of his children baptized in the cathedral and a few months before his death, Mozart applied for the position of music director adjunct at St. Stephen's. Mozart's name can be found both in the record of his death and in the cathedral's Book of Death Fees. Apart from Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Antonio Salieri, Franz Schubert and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are also recorded here in the Book of the Dead.

Scores and Practise Vocals

You can add the scores for the piece to your registration when booking. We will use the Carus edition at the Sing Along! Choir Festival. Within Europe we will be happy to send the scores to you in early April. Order deadline is March 31st 2027.

If you already have the scores or prefer to order them yourself, you can find the edition directly at Carus: Beethoven Mass in C major: 40.688/05

Practice Vocals

M. Duruflé: Requiem
15 to 17 July 2027 | St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

Registration for "Duruflé, Requiem" in Vienna will open shortly!

To mark the 125th anniversary of M. Duruflé’s birth, you can perform his famous Requiem for the first time at the ‘Sing along!’ choir festival, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of its world premiere. In this masterpiece of French church music, Duruflé combined Gregorian chants with magnificent harmonies, thereby creating what is undoubtedly one of the most moving religious works of the 20th century.

Johannes Pell is working with the participants of the ‘Sing along!’ Festival Choir to rehearse the piece, which will be performed as the grand finale at St Stephen’s Cathedral alongside the Vienna Cathedral Orchestra and renowned soloists.

Repertoire and Composers

Repertoire

M. Duruflé: Requiem (op. 9)

Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem is one of the most impressive sacred compositions of the 20th century. Completed in 1947, the work combines the centuries-old tradition of Gregorian chant with the rich harmonies and musical language of 20th-century France. Although composed during a period of profound social upheaval, it is nonetheless not music of terror: Duruflé contrasts death not with the fear of the Last Judgement, but with the hope of peace, light and salvation.

The starting point for his composition was the melodies of the Gregorian Requiem. Duruflé adopts some of them almost unchanged, whilst in other places he draws inspiration solely from their melodic lines and their characteristic free rhythm. The Gregorian melodies are not merely quoted, but are transformed into a new musical world through his modern harmonies, subtly nuanced timbres and artful polyphony.

The very beginning of the Requiem immerses the listener in this special atmosphere: against a floating tapestry of sound, the Gregorian melody of the ‘Requiem aeternam’ – ‘Grant them eternal rest’ – unfolds. This motif recurs time and again throughout the work, creating an overarching musical unity. The organ is far more than mere accompaniment here. It supports and comments on the choral sound, creates transitions and lends the music its characteristic, often almost ethereal timbre.

Duruflé’s work also differs markedly from the great 19th-century requiem settings in terms of its dramatic structure. The traditional ‘Dies irae’ – the dramatic depiction of the Day of Wrath and the Last Judgement – is absent as a separate movement. Instead, the musical arc increasingly focuses on hope and the promise of eternal life. Even where, in the ‘Libera me’ or other sections, human fear and uncertainty in the face of death come to the fore, the music remains characterised by a profound sense of inner reflection.

The ‘Sanctus’ then opens up a different sonic space: light, almost floating choral sounds make the Gregorian melody seem as though it is coming from afar, before the ‘Hosanna’ gains in intensity. The ‘Pie Jesu’ in the middle of the work is particularly poignant. The simple, heartfelt prayer ‘Merciful Jesus, grant them rest’ is entrusted to the mezzo-soprano soloist. Against a restrained instrumental accompaniment, a moment of profound intimacy emerges – music that speaks less of grief than of comfort and quiet hope. In the Agnus Dei, the plea for eternal rest returns. The following Lux aeterna – ‘May the eternal light shine upon them’ – ultimately leads ever more clearly from the darkness of death towards the light.

This development reaches its climax in the concluding ‘In paradisum’. The music seems to detach itself increasingly from the earth; the choral sound becomes transparent and luminous, until the work fades away in an atmosphere of perfect tranquillity. Death appears here not as a final end, but as a transition to another, otherworldly reality.

Duruflé’s Requiem thus bears a close spiritual and musical kinship to Gabriel Fauré’s famous Requiem. Duruflé admired Fauré and was even involved as an organist in an early recording of Fauré’s work. Both composers largely eschew a dramatic depiction of the Last Judgement and focus their musical attention on consolation and redemption. Duruflé, however, goes one step further by making the Gregorian tradition the very foundation of his composition.

In this way, the Requiem bridges the past and the present, combining archaic monophonic melodies with modern harmony, simple prayers with highly sophisticated musical artistry. It is precisely this combination that gives the work its special impact: music of great beauty and depth which, in the face of death, does not dwell on grief but turns its gaze towards peace, light and hope.

Composers

Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)

Maurice Duruflé was born on 11 January 1902 in Louviers, Normandy. He received his early musical training as a choirboy at Rouen Cathedral, where he became familiar with Gregorian chant, choral music and the organ – influences that were to shape his entire later oeuvre. In 1919, Duruflé moved to Paris and initially studied under Charles Tournemire and Louis Vierne, two of the most eminent French organists of their time. At the Paris Conservatoire, he continued his studies with Eugène Gigout, Jean Gallon, Georges Caussade and, in particular, Paul Dukas.

Duruflé soon made a name for himself as an outstanding concert organist. From 1931 until his death, he was titular organist at the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris. In addition, he taught at the Paris Conservatoire from 1943 to 1973, where his pupils included the later renowned organist Pierre Cochereau. As a virtuoso performer, Duruflé undertook numerous concert tours, particularly throughout the USA.

As a composer, Duruflé was extremely self-critical and left behind a comparatively small body of work. He authorised the publication of only a few works; this makes the surviving compositions all the more significant. His music is characterised by the fusion of Gregorian chant with the French musical tradition of Debussy, Ravel and Dukas. Among his most important works are the Suite pour orgue, Op. 5, the Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain, Op. 7, the Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens and the Mass ‘Cum jubilo’.

Duruflé achieved worldwide fame with his Requiem, Op. 9, completed in 1947, which is now regarded as one of the most significant sacred works of the 20th century. It unites the two musical worlds that occupied Duruflé throughout his life: the archaic power of Gregorian chant and the harmonic sophistication of modern French music.

In 1953, Duruflé married the organist Marie-Madeleine Chevalier, with whom he also performed as an organ duo. A serious car accident in 1975 brought their active concert career largely to an end. Maurice Duruflé died on 16 June 1986 in Louveciennes, near Paris.

Schedule

Johannes Pell

Vienna Boys Choir, Choirmaster

Johannes Pell was born on 27 August 1982 in Linz. He studied piano at the Bruckner Conservatoire in Linz from 1994 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he studied ‘Piano Performance’ at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, and from 2003 to 2005, he also studied ‘Choral Conducting’ at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Johannes Pell conducted the Haag Church Choir from 2004 to 2008, the ‘Chorus discantus’ from 2006 to 2009, and was a long-standing member of the ‘Chor ad libitum’ in St Valentin, the Vienna Singakademie and the Academic Symphony Orchestra in Vienna.

Since 2005, he has been studying ‘Orchestral Conducting’ at the Vienna Conservatory Private University. There, in 2007, Johannes Pell conducted the operetta production ‘A Night in Venice’ by Johann Strauss, as well as a concert to mark the 80th birthday of Prof. René Clemencic in the presence of the composer.

He has won several national competitions. He has also served as a lecturer and accompanist at various festivals.

Accompanist at the Theater an der Wien, the Klosterneuburg Opera, the Jennersdorf Opera Festival, the Vienna Singakademie, the Salzburg Bach Choir and the Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra.

During the 2009–2010 season, he was principal accompanist with conducting duties at the Erfurt Theatre, where he conducted numerous works during his very first season. From summer 2010, Johannes Pell was Second Conductor at the Theater Erfurt, where he conducted numerous productions.

During the 2011–2012 season, he conducted and supervised several new productions at the Theater Erfurt. From January 2012, Mr Pell took over at short notice the new production of *Orpheus in the Underworld* at the Stadttheater in Bern.

In 2011, the magazine *Opernwelt* nominated Johannes Pell as an ‘up-and-coming artist’, and Deutschlandradio Berlin named him ‘Young Conductor of the Year’.

In June 2013, he made his debut at the Mainfrankentheater in Würzburg, where he conducted a run of *Die Fledermaus*.

From the 2013/14 season onwards, Johannes Pell joined the Bonn Opera as Principal Conductor, where he conducted numerous works.

In the summer of 2013, Johannes Pell conducted *Die Fledermaus* at the Schwerin Castle Festival and made his debut at the Vienna Volksoper in March 2014, also with *Die Fledermaus*.

During the 2014/15 season, Johannes Pell conducted the new production of Nino Rota’s *Aladin e la lampada magica* at the Leipzig Opera and returned to the Vienna Volksoper (world premieres of *Countess Mariza* and *Die Fledermaus*). He also made his debut at the Graz Opera with *Tosca* and with the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz.

From summer 2016 to July 2020, Johannes Pell was Principal Conductor at the Wuppertal Opera House, where he successfully conducted numerous premieres and repertoire performances. A particular success there was the staging and musical direction of Korngold’s opera *Die Tote Stadt*.

From 2020 to 2024, Johannes Pell was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Staatsoperette in Dresden.

In spring 2021, he began teaching at the Carl-Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden. In spring 2022, Johannes Pell was engaged as a guest conductor at the University of Music in Stuttgart.

Since September 2024, Johannes has been the second choir director, assistant and accompanist at the Vienna Singakademie in the Vienna Konzerthaus.

In February 2025, he began working with the Vienna Boys’ Choir. Since the end of April 2025, he has been the second choir director of Chorus Juventus, as well as a music teacher with the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

Furthermore, various projects and concerts are planned for 2025, including performances with the Dresden Chamber Soloists.

Vienna Cathedral Orchestra

Concert at St. Stephen's Cathedral

The grand finale of the 50th Sing Along! Choir Festival is the performance of the Requiem in St. Stephen's Cathedral. In this way, you continue the tradition of music in the cathedral and follow in the footsteps of great composers. It was in St. Stephen's Cathedral that Joseph and his brother Michael Haydn received extensive musical training as choirboys. Joseph Haydn married here, as did Johann Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For Mozart, St. Stephen's Cathedral played an important role throughout his life, especially when he lived in the nearby Figaro House, but also after his death: He married Constanze Weber here, had two of his children baptized in the cathedral and a few months before his death, Mozart applied for the position of music director adjunct at St. Stephen's. Mozart's name can be found both in the record of his death and in the cathedral's Book of Death Fees. Apart from Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Antonio Salieri, Franz Schubert and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are also recorded here in the Book of the Dead.

Scores and Practise Vocals

You can add the scores for the piece to your registration when booking. We will use the scores from Éditions Durand at the Sing Along! Choir Festival. Within Europe we will be happy to send the scores to you in early April. Order deadline is March 31st 2027.

If you already have the scores or prefer to order them yourself, you can find the edition directly at Éditions Durand: Duruflé Requiem

Practise Vocals