Philipp Ahmann, Künstlerischer Leiter des MDR-Rundfunkchors, sitzt auf einer Mauer
Bildrechte: MDR/Andreas Lander

Philipp Ahmann (biography in English)

30. März 2023, 09:24 Uhr

After several years of close collaboration Philipp Ahmann has been shaping MDR Leipzig Radio Choir's artistic profile as Chief Conductor since January 2020.

Philipp Ahmann's close collaboration with the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir dates back to 2010 and includes successful CD productions and concert projects. In 2013 the ensemble appointed him Principal Guest Conductor for a period of three years, and since January 2020 Philipp Ahmann has been shaping the choir's artistic profile as Chief Conductor.

From 2008 to 2018 Philipp Ahmann was Chief Conductor of the NDR North German Radio Choir in Hamburg where he conducted renowned ensembles specialising in early and contemporary music (Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, B'Rock, Bell'arte Salzburg, Concerto con Anima, Concerto Köln, Le Concert Lorrain and the Elbipolis Baroque Orchestra Hamburg, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, Ensemble Resonanz, Fabergé-Quintett). He has also worked with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and the NDR Radiophilharmonie as well as with the BerlinRadio Choir, the Groot Omroepkoor (the Dutch Public Broadcasting Foundation radio choir), the WDR Radio Choir Cologne and the SWR Vocal Ensemble Stuttgart. Productions with the Spielvereinigung Sued Bigband, the NDR Bigband and NDR Brass bear witness to his versatility.

Kreisförmig aufgestellter Chor, in der Mitte in Dirigent.
Philipp Ahmann beim Dirigieren Bildrechte: MDR/Stephan Flad

Philipp Ahmann has been acclaimed not only for exploring a cappella repertoire from every musical period but also for his interpretation of oratorio works. While frequently focussing on numerous Baroque works as well as key repertoire of the Classical and Romantic periods, he has also explored many contemporary works. He has been a guest at renowned festivals such as Rheingau Music Festival, Schleswig Holstein Music Festival, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival and the International Handel Festival Göttingen. In 2019 he made his debut at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile.

Philipp Ahmann bei seinem Antrittskonzert als Künstlerischer Leiter des MDR-Rundfunkchors in der Leipziger Peterskirche
Antrittskonzert Philipp Ahmanns beim MDR-Rundfunkchor Bildrechte: MDR/Andreas Lander

Philipp Ahmann was born in 1974 and studied conducting with Marcus Creed at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne. He received further impulses from Frieder Bernius, Peter Neumann and Robin Gritton as well as from working with such conductors as Semyon Bychkov, Dennis Russell Davies, Christoph von Dohnányi, Peter Eötvös, Christoph Eschenbach, Heinz Holliger, Marek Janowski, Wladimir Jurowski, Andrew Manze, Kent Nagano, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Christian Thielemann.