Category: About us

Johannes Honecker is a young conductor from Cologne. He is a student at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and the conductor of the concert choirs tonart and the Madrigalchor Aachen.

Johannes, who was born in Aachen, pursued a degree as music educator before deciding to add a Bachelor in choral conducting. He now studies with professor Peter Dijkstra as well as attending master classes with Frieder Bernius, Denis Rouger, Hans Leenders and Daniel Reuss.

As a singer, from an early age he was part of the LandesJugendChor NRW. Later he joined the chamber choir of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln under Marcus Creed and Peter Dijkstra and the Kölner Kammerchor under Peter Neumann. He also performs as a soloist, recently singing Schubert´s “Winterreise” in Bonn.

From 2012 to 2018 he directed several church choirs in Aachen. He has worked with various ensembles of the greater area, including the vocal ensemble of the Conservatory in Cologne, Studium Chorale Maastricht, the choral academy of the WDR Rundfunkchor, the Philharmonische Chor Bonn, Kammerchor Constant and Ensemble Caleidon. Since 2017 he is the conductor of the concert choir tonart, with whom he has performed Puccinis Messa di Gloria and will conduct Mozart´s Requiem later in 2019. As conductor of the Madrigalchor Aachen he is actively involved with the further development of the Internationale Chorbiennale Aachen.

The Madrigalchor Aachen was founded in 1978 and today consists of about 30 enthusiastic singers. Under its founder, Johannes Meister – who later would become choir director at the Vienna State Opera – the small ensemble concentrated on secular and sacred music of the Renaissance and Baroque period. Later, the number of singers grew and the repertoire was extended to Romantic and Modern choral music, including the premiere of several contemporary compositions. The choir quickly made a name for itself and began to take a special place in Aachen´s active and varied choral scene. The choir won first and second prizes at international competitions and recorded for the BBC and Danish, Dutch and German radio stations. The choir tours regularly and has visited India, Israel and Singapur as well as many European countries. In addition, the Madrigalchor is one of the founding choirs of the choir festival Internationale Aachener Chorbiennale.

For 25 years the Dutch conductor, organist and composer Hans Leenders directed the choir. At the opening concert of the Chorbiennale 2013, one of his compositions was premiered by the festival´s four founding choirs. In 2018 the young conductor Johannes Honecker took over the baton. Under his leadership, the choir continues to strive for an authentic performance of Renaissance and Baroque music as well as pursuing new sounds in contemporary music.

For many years, the Madrigalchor Aachen has performed regularly in the adjoining Netherlands and Belgium as well as in its home city of Aachen. It has become a well-known and beloved part of musical culture in the greater region.