ABOUT US

Founded in October 2016 by Adrian Emans, the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin has quickly become one of the most renowned chamber choirs in the city of Berlin. The choir is made up of singers with extensive choral experience. Through weekly rehearsals and regular retreats, the ensemble has developed an ambitious and varied a cappella repertoire, which includes choral works ranging from the literature of the Renaissance to contemporary classical music. In the short time since its founding, the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin has already published three CDs and completed concert tours including Australia, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Poland, Luxemburg, and Italy. 

The ensemble successfully participated in several national and international competitions. After winning "with outstanding success" at the Berlin Choir competition in June 2022, the New Chamber Choir Berlin participated "with very good success" at the German Choir Competition 2023 in Hanover. At the German Choral Festival in Leipzig in May 2022, the choir won first places in both the categories "Contemporary Choral Music" and "Romantic Secular" as well as a special prize as "Choir with Particularly Outstanding Achievements", which came with a three-day CD production by the Rondeau Production label. 

At the “Claudio Monteverdi International Choral Festival and Competition“ in October 2019, the choir won first place in the categories “Musica Sacra” and “Cori dei Adulti,” as well as the “Grand Prix,” the grand prize for the entire international competition. In July 2018, the choir traveled to Tshwane, South Africa for the tenth “World Choir Games” and earned a silver medal in the “Champions Competition.” In addition to the competition, the choir gave concerts with several different choirs in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch, among others within the “Endler Concert Series”, well-known in South Africa. 

In October 2018 the ensemble participated in an exchange project with a Polish choir and orchestra in Wrocław to premiere Zuzanna Koziej’s “Mass of Trust”. In November 2017, the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin participated in the 31st international choir competition “Praga Cantat” and won the “Gold Band” and the second prize in the category of “Mixed Choirs.” As part of the International Choir Competition for Chamber Choirs Mosbach, the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin took part in a workshop with Prof. Frieder Bernius, the director of Kammerchor Stuttgart. 

Choral director and conductor Adrian Emans is the founder and musical director of the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin, the Charité Chor Berlin and the Neuer Männerchor Berlin.

Emans began his musical career with the classical guitar, for which he earned national and international recognition. He obtained a master's degree in music education at the Berlin University of the Arts and in mathematics education at the Free University Berlin.

From 2011 through 2013, Emans assumed responsibility for the organization and direction of the children’s choir of the Jugendkammerorchester Berlin, for the project "Ein Märchen vom Fluss", a modern youth opera inspired by J.W. von Goethe. This project was awarded a prize at the competition "Children's Choir Olympics". In 2013, he founded the Charité Chor Berlin. At the 2016 German Choir Festival Competition in Stuttgart, he and the choir won the second prize “with high honors,” and at the 2017 Berlin Choir Meet they were awarded a commendation “with honors.” At the competition of the “35th International Choral Festival of Preveza” the choir was awarded with a gold and a silver medal in two categories.

From 2014 to 2015, Adrian Emans worked as assistant and accompanist at the Berliner Philharmonie. He accompanied the Berlin Philharmonic’s educational project "Vokalhelden" under the direction of Simon Halsey. From 2016 to 2018 he held a position at the Max-Planck-Gymnasium in Berlin Mitte supporting the work of the school choir “PlanckTon”, a 2016/2017 protegé choir of the RIAS-Kammerchor.

In 2016, Adrian Emans founded the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin, made up of students from the Berlin University of the Arts. Under his leadership, the choir enjoyed international success by winning second prize at the competition “Praga Cantat”, where Adrian was additionally awarded a special jury prize for outstanding conducting. In 2018, the choir was also awarded with a silver diploma in the „Champions Competition“ at the international competition „World Choir Games“ in Tshwane, South Africa.

In November 2018 Adrian Emans conducted the German premiere of Zuzanna Koziej’s “Mass of Trust,” within the project “Zaufanie-Vertrauen.” In October 2019, he and the choir won the first prize in the categories “Musica Sacra” and “Cori dei Adulti,” as well as the entire competition in the “Grand Prix” finale. In addition, Emans received the special prize for “Best Conductor.” From 2017 to 2019 Adrian was assistant to the Children’s Choir of the Berlin State Opera unter den Linden, and continues to support the work of this choir. In 2019, Adrian Emans founded the semi-professional Neuer Männerchor Berlin. 

At the German Choral Festival in Leipzig in May 2022, Adrian Emans and the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin won first places in both the "Contemporary Choral Music" and "Romantic Secular" categories, as well as a special prize as for a "Particularly Outstanding Performance", which comes with a three-day CD production by the Rondeau Production label. 

Adrian Emans has taken master classes from Frieder Bernius, Simon Halsey, Stefan Parkman, Michael Gläser, Nicolas Fink und Frank Markowitsch and as a guest has conducted choirs such as the Kammerchor Stuttgart, the Vokalakademie Berlin, the Schleswig-Holstein-Festival-Chor, Opus Vocale and Ensemberlino Vocale.

Substitution work and assistance connect him with many choirs and orchestras in Berlin. In addition to his ensemble conducting work, Adrian Emans is active as the chairman of the music committee of the Choral Association of Berlin.

For further information, take a look at his website.