ENSEMBLES 2016

Neue Wiener Stimmen

Vienna’s youth choir

NEUE WIENER STIMMEN is a youth choir that was founded in October 2010 by Jürgen Partaj and Johannes Hiemetsberger with the support of Jeunesse Austria. In weekly rehearsals the young singers study a diverse selection of repertoire and further develop their voices with additional voice training. The singers are either from Vienna, or come to Vienna for study/work from other Austrian provinces or internationally. They range from 16 and 26 years of age and are all united by their love of music and a joy for singing.

Despite its brief existence, the choir can look back on many successful concerts in several Austrian states as well as performances in the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Wiener Musikverein, the MuTh, the Wien Museum and the Semper Depot. NEUE WIENER STIMMEN has also been a part of the “Wiener Stadtfest”, the “Jeunesse day in the Museums Quartier”, the “Karlstag” and the opening of the “Festival der Bezirke”. Through co-operation with Caritas Austria, numerous concerts and musical gatherings were held in homes for refugees and senior citizens.

Furthermore, the young singers could show their passion for music abroad within a tour of six concerts throughout Switzerland, Slovakia and Austria, which included a live CD recording - together with the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra. The grand finale of the tour was held in the Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein.

Since 2012, the choir has excitedly participated in the annual film music festival “Hollywood in Vienna”. Together with the RSO Wien, Natalia Ushakova, Ildikó Raimondi, Cassandra Steen, David Whitley and Randy Newman, all under the baton of David Newman, the NEUE WIENER STIMMEN was a part of the film music gala concerts in the Great Hall of the Vienna Konzerthaus. These concerts were recorded by ORF television and radio and broadcasted in several countries.

In April 2013 the first recorded album of the youth choir appeared under the label "Jeunesse Records”. The album includes live recordings of the “Misa Criolla” by Ariel Ramírez and a selection of international Christmas songs. In season 2013/2014, Christoph Wigelbeyer was appointed artistic director of NEUE WIENER STIMMEN and is now leading the choir rehearsals and concerts.

Up till now special highlights included repeated participation in Hollywood in Vienna 2012-2015, in the opening ceremony of “Life Ball” 2014 and 2015 and the Best of John Williams concerts in 2016. Moreover the choir has been part of a production of the “Schauspielhaus Wien” as well as the operetta “Die Fledermaus” (The Bat) as part of the EXPO 2015 in Milan.

The upcoming season will feature Karl Jenkins’s „The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace“ as well as a combination of pop, rock, jazz, soul and the greatest hits and classics in the program „Neue Wiener Stimmen goes Pop”. Both programs will be performed in Wiener Konzerthaus and in numerous states in Austria. Once again the choir will be part of film music concerts Hollywood in Vienna and Best of John Williams.

The team at NEUE WIENER STIMMEN consists of Christoph Wigelbeyer, Jürgen Partaj, Helmut Simmer, Elisabeth Sturm, Flora Königsberger, Liga Ausmane and each individual voice of the choir. The youth choir is an initiative of Jeunesse Austria, is supported by the Federal Chancellery of Austria (BKA), Österreichisches Volksliedwerk (Inter_ Folk²) and cooperates with institutions such as the “Musisches Zentrum Wien”, wienXtra, the Wiener Jugendzentren and “Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur”.

www.neuewienerstimmen.at
www.facebook.com/NeueWienerStimmen
www.youtube.com/user/NeueWienerStimmen

Christoph Wigelbeyer

Conductor

Christoph Wigelbeyer was born in Wels, Austria. He studied Music Education at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (focus on piano, voice and choral conducting) and Voice under KS Hilde Rössel-Majdan. He was member of several choirs and ensembles such as the Wiener Kammerchor and the Wiener Singverein. From 2006 to 2008 he was part of the a-cappella-group “Mainstreet”.

Christoph Wigelbeyer is working as a music teacher at the BG&BRG Wien3/HIB and as choir conductor with a special focus on youth-choir (HIB-VOICES Wien, pro.vocant) and choral vocal training. At the Institute for music pedagogy (University of music and performing arts) he is part of the mentoring-program for prospective music-teachers. Since September 2013 Christoph Wigelbeyer is artistic director of the choir “Neue Wiener Stimmen“.

Music Program