Martin Berger (church musician)

Martin Berger (born February 29, 1972 in Wadern ) is a German conductor , choir director and university lecturer . From October 2002 he was the cathedral music director at the Würzburg Kiliansdom and since 2008 he has been professor for choral education at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf . From April 2013 he has been teaching as a university lecturer at the South African University of Stellenbosch . Since 2019 he has been teaching as professor for choral conducting (W3) at the Robert Schumann University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf.

Life

Berger grew up in Merzig in the Saarland and studied church music , school music and German studies as well as conducting with a focus on choral conducting at the universities in Saarbrücken and Düsseldorf . Study trips and artistic collaborations took him to Sweden, among others. He received formative impulses for his artistic work from Raimund Wippermann, Eric Ericson , Anders Eby and Gary Graden, among others . From November 2002 he was employed as cathedral music director at Würzburg Kiliansdom . There he directed the ensembles Würzburger Domchor , Würzburger Domsingknaben , Girls' Choir at Würzburg Cathedral and Chamber Choir at Würzburg Cathedral . With the latter he won international choir competitions in Malta in 2007 and in Vienna in 2008. After moving to the University of Stellenbosch, Berger founded the Stellenbosch University Chamber Choir in 2014, with which he won the renowned Woordtrofee for the best classical music production in South Africa in 2015.

Berger has given concerts in most European countries, the USA, Australia and South Africa. Master classes and scientific lectures have taken him to many European countries, Mozambique, China and South Africa.

From 2004 to 2008 he taught as part of a teaching assignment at the Musikhochschule Würzburg. He was visiting professor at the South African University of Stellenbosch and the University of the Nelson Mandela Metropolis in Port Elizabeth. From July 2008 to March 2013, Berger was a part-time professor for choral education at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf.

Martin Berger is Vice President of the World Youth and Childrens Choral Artists Association (WCCAA).

CD recordings (selection)

Martin Berger was responsible for the musical direction and implementation, unless otherwise stated.

• 1999: male vocals. Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Johannes Brahms , Carl Maria von Weber . Men's choir Schmelz
• 2001: Organ music in St. Marien. Works by Johann Sebastian Bach , César Franck , Nicolaus Bruhns
• 2006: O come, let us sing. Works by Jennefelt, Egil Hovland , Moritz Hauptmann . Girls' Choir at Würzburg Cathedral
• 2007: On wings of soul - a ceremony of carols. Works by Benjamin Britten . Eastern Cape Children's Choir (South Africa), conducted together with Lionel van Zyl.
• 2008: Shout out to the Lord all the world. Works by Heinrich Schütz , William Byrd , Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy , Max Reger , Sisask. Würzburger Domsingknaben
• 2012: Praise the Lord. Works by Becker, Whitacre, Gustav Mahler a . a. Chamber choir at the Würzburg Cathedral

Competition successes and awards

• 2007: Winner of the 2nd International Choir Competition in Malta with the Chamber Choir at Würzburg Cathedral
• 2008: Winner of the 25th Franz Schubert Choir Competition in Vienna with the Chamber Choir at Würzburg Cathedral
• 2013: Awarded the Dancing Shepherd of the City of Würzburg for special cultural merits
• 2015: Winner of the Woordtrofee in South Africa with the Stellenbosch University Chamber Choir

Publications

• Berger, M. 2015. Nkosi sikelel 'iAfrika - South Africa 20 years after the end of apartheid. Teachers and Schools Today - Journal of the Saarland Teachers' Association, 66 (5), May: 94-97. (ISSN 2190-5878)
• Albrecht, C. & Berger, M. 2013. News of death - Siegfried Koesler (1937-2012), Cathedral Kapellmeister in Würzburg from 1971 - 2002. Music & Liturgy, 138 (1), 49. ( ISSN  1420-5904 )
• Sperling, O., Berger, M., Kiefer, T., Leenen, F., Schnell, J., Sichler-Karle, G. (eds). 2011. Singing God's Ways - Choir Book Pueri Cantores III. Stuttgart: Carus publishing house.
• Berger, M. 2010. Architecture of Sound - The New Rooms of the Würzburg Cathedral Music, in J. Lenssen (ed). Contemporary architecture in the Diocese of Würzburg. Würzburg: Building and Art Department of the Diocese. 44-45
• Gabriel, T. & Berger, M. 2006. Cantemus in viis Domini for solo voice, satb choir, oboe, soprano saxophone, bassoon, trumpet in C, trombone, timpani, vibraphone, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass and rhythm section. Stuttgart: Carus publishing house
• Strauss-König, R. & Berger, M. 2002. Show us the way for SATB choir and piano. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. Munich: Strube-Verlag
• Jansens, P. & Berger, M. 2002. Mit Maria praises the gentlemen for SATB choir and piano. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. Munich: Strube-Verlag
• Stimmer-Salzeder, K., Reuss, A. & Berger, M. 2002. When we bring our gifts for SATB choir and piano. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. Munich: Strube-Verlag

Web links

• Website of the Würzburg Cathedral Music
• Martin Berger on the pages of the Robert Schumann University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
• Staff News: Martin Berger appointed Vice-President of WYCCAA  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Program of the 2007 international choir competition in Malta ( Memento of the original from January 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file; 3.26 MB) 
2. ↑ Woordtrofee winner 2015
3. Jump up ↑ Dancing Shepherd for Cathedral Kapellmeister Prof. Martin Berger
4. ↑ Woordtrofee winner 2015