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The Philharmonia Chorus
Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales, KG, KT, PC, GCM, OM.

President: Sir Charles Mackerras, CH, AC, CBE.

Artistic Director: Edward Caswell.

Associate Chorus Masters: Stefan Bevier; Madeleine Lovell; Deborah Miles-Johnson

Accompanist: Stephen Rose

History and repertoire
Founded by Walter Legge in 1957 to record Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Philharmonia Chorus is one of the UK's pre-eminent choirs. It comprises more than 120 amateur singers, and is governed by a council of 12 elected representatives.

The Chorus has an international reputation and has performed the symphonic and operatic repertoire with the world’s most renowned orchestras and conductors. It regularly appears in London's major concert halls, such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Centre, and the Royal Festival Hall. Its repertoire encompasses both the great Classical and Romantic works as well as those of the twentieth century.

Recent highlights include:

• concerts in London, Cambridge, Oxford, Cardiff, and tours to Istanbul and Valencia

• engagements with the Philharmonia and other major orchestras under conductors such as de Burgos, Gergiev, Jurowski, Maazel, Mackerras, Muti, Pletnev and Rattle

• performances of a wide range of choral, symphonic and operatic works, by, amongst many others, Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz, Bernstein, Brahms, Dvořák, Mozart, Rossini, Rachmaninoff, and Verdi

• the recording of Frédéric Chaslin’s new opera Wuthering Heights

In 2000 a special performance of Haydn's Creation was given with the Philharmonia Orchestra in the Vatican, in the presence of His Holiness the Pope John Paul II on the occasion of his 80th Birthday.

In 2007, it celebrated its 50th birthday with a performance of Verdi's Requiem at Westminster Cathedral on 14th March in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales.

By coincidence 2007 was also the occasion of the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall, London's premier concert hall and a regular venue for Chorus performances, after a two-year programme of refurbishment. The Chorus, together with the London Philharmonic Choir, was invited to perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the Gala Reopening concert on 11th June.

The Chorus Masters / Artistic Directors
Although the Philharmonia Chorus performs with the world's most renowned conductors, most of the preparation is done with the Artistic Director (the Chorus Master), who prepares the choir for each concert. The Philharmonia currently has a team of three Associate Chorus Masters who take rehearsals for specific concerts and who assist the Artistic Director in carrying out auditions, as well as providing additional vocal and musical advice.

The first Chorus Master was the great Wilhelm Pitz and for many years the Chief Chorus Master came from either Germany or Austria. The first British Chorus Master was David Hill, followed by Robert Dean, Music Director and Chorus Master from 1998 - 2007.

In October 2008 Edward Caswell was appointed as the chorus' new Artistic Director. Edward was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and the Royal College of Music, and in addition to his work with the Philharmonia Chorus, teaches at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. He also appears regularly as a chorus master in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, working with Norddeutscher Rundfunk Chor in Hamburg, SWR Vokalensemble in Stuttgart, Netherlands Radio Choir, and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Chor whom he conducted to critical acclaim in the 2007 Festival. He is a director of the Paisley Choral Festival. Edward will make his formal conducting debut with the Chorus in Southwark Cathedral on 1st April 2009.

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Recordings
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The Philharmonia Chorus has made over 80 recordings and won numerous awards. Recordings are published by record labels including EMI, Chandos, BBC, Naxos and Testament.

Highlights include:

EMI Classics 5862572 Elijah 	Mendelssohn Conductor: Rafael Frubeck de Burgos Dame Janet Baker, Nicolai Gedda, Fischer-Dieskau Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra EMI Classics 5673882 Die Zauberflote 	Mozart Conductor: Otto Klemperer Gundula Janowitz, Nicolai Gedda Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra

EMI Classics 5860221 Le Nozze de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) 	Mozart Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini Elizabeth Schawarzkopf, Guiseppe Taddei, Anna Moffo Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra EMI Classics 5678692 Don Giovanni 	Mozart Conductor: Carlo Maria Guilini Roberto Benaglio ,Eberhand Wachter, Gottlob Frick Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra

EMI Classics 58663723 Requiem in D Minor 	Mozart Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini Helen Donath, Christa Ludwig Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra EMI Classics 58642827 Carmina Burana 	Orff Conductor: Riccardo Muti Arleen Auger, John van Kesteren Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra

EMI Classics 76371221 Die Kluge & Der Mond 	Orff Conductor: Wolfgang Sawallisch Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Hans Hotter Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra Chandos CHAN9134 Collage 	Part, Arvo Conductor: Neeme Jarvi Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra

Chandos CHAN8977 Ivan The Terrible 	Prokofiev Conductor: Neeme Jarvi Linda Finnie, Nikita Storojev Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra EMI Classics CHAN9095 Cantana for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution 	Prokofiev Conductor: Neeme Jarvi Gennady Rozhdenstvensky (Narrator) Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra

EMI Classics 5675602 Requiem/Four Sacred Pieces 	Verdi Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini Dame Janet Baker, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra EMI Classics 56700253 Magnificat/Gloria 	Vivaldi Conductor: Riccardo Muti Teresa Berganza Philharmonia Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra