The Munich Bach Choir, founded in 1954 by Karl Richter, has gained international renown, particularly for performing the works of J. S. Bach on major international concert tours and on numerous recordings. After Richter’s death in 1981, Hanns-Martin Schneidt took over the baton (1984-2001). The following years saw the choir collaborating with several guest conductors, predominantly Baroque specialists such as Peter Schreier, Bruno Weil and Ralf Otto. In 2005, Hansjörg Albrecht was appointed Music Director and under his leadership the choir has developed a new artistic profile and gained a clear choral sound. Performances of Bach’s works, inspired by historically informed practices, remain a key focus of the choir’s schedule. Unusual program concepts and an expanded repertoire have become additional trademarks in recent years, marked by collaborations with the ballet companies of John Neumeier or Marguerite Donlon and with acclaimed soloists such as Marlis Petersen, Simone Kermes, Klaus Florian Vogt or Michael Volle. The Munich Bach Choir continues to work closely with its traditional artistic partners, the Munich Bach Orchestra and Bach Collegium of Munich, and has also performed with other notable European orchestras, in Munich as well as at other major international music centers and festivals. The concert tour to Israel, performing with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, is a collaboration with the Goethe-Institut.
Johanna Soller, assistant conductor of the Munich Bach Choir, also performs as conductor, harpsichordist and organist with renowned early music ensembles such as the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and the Hofkapelle Munich. Her engagements have taken her to the Theater an der Wien, the International Handel Festival Göttingen, the Thuringian Bach Weeks and the Audi Summer Concerts Ingolstadt, as well as the International Organ Concert Series in the cathedrals of Riga and Passau. She is Artistic Director of the Vocalconsort Munich, which she founded, and of the International Music Festival Grisons Baroque in Switzerland. In 2016, she was appointed organist to the parish church of St. Peter in Munich. She is also a lecturer at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich, from which she graduated with honors. Born in 1989, she was a laureate of national and international competitions, including the International Music Competition Prague Spring and the German Music Competition.