Federal Association of German Choir Associations
The Federal Association of German Choir Associations (BDC) was the umbrella organization for vocal amateur music in Germany from 1952 to 2019, uniting seven national choir associations with a total of around 34,000 choirs and 800,000 members. The association was founded in 1952 as the Working Group of German Choir Associations (ADC) and renamed in 2012.
On March 29, 2019, the BDC and the Federal Association of German Orchestra Associations merged to form a comprehensive umbrella organization for amateur music, the Federal Music Association of Choirs & Orchestra (BMCO).
Members
Members were last
- Association of German Concert Choirs (VDKC),
- Working Group Music in Youth (AMJ),
- International Working Group for Music (IAM),
- ACHORDAS Choir and Music Association,
as well as the church choir associations
- Choir Association in the Evangelical Church in Germany (CEK),
- German Choir Association Pueri Cantores and
- General Cecilia Association for Germany (ACV).
The German Choir Association (DCV; formed from the merger of the German Singers Association and the German General Singers Association ) left the BDC on December 31, 2011.
The main tasks of the association were
- the networking of the member associations among themselves and with other national and international associations of the cultural scene
- the function as the central mouthpiece of the amateur choir landscape in Germany towards politics, the media and the public
- the organization of own, exemplary projects to promote choral music in Germany and
- the coordination of the application process for the Zelter badge .
Since 1969, the BDC has awarded the title of Choir Director BDC (formerly: Chordirektor ADC ) as the highest award of excellence for conductors of amateur choirs.
From February 2012, President of the BDC was Hans Jaskulsky , University Music Director at the Ruhr University Bochum and President of the IAM. Vice-president was KMD Christian Finke from Berlin, president of the CEK.
Until 2017, the federal association was the sponsor of the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition and the Musica Sacra International Days of Musical Encounter .