Staatsopernchor Stuttgart
The Staatsopernchor Stuttgart is one of the most successful opera choirs in Europe. In recent years, its 74 singers have been voted “Opera Choir of the Year“ 13 times by the opera magazine Opernwelt: in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. In addition to its performances at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, the choir regularly participates in concerts given by the Staatsorchester Stuttgart.
In recent decades, der Staatsopernchor has been shaped by Heinz Mende (1946-1980), Ulrich Eistert (1980-2001), Michael Alber (from 2001 to 2012), Johannes Knecht (2012-17), Christoph Heil (2017-18), and Manuel Pujol (since season 2018/19).
The choir has a long history. As early as 1552, under Duke Christoph, there was mention of the “court chapel”, from which nine choir singers and eleven choirboys (soprano and alto) were recruited for opera performances between 1736 and 1750. The exact date of the founding of the Opernchor Stuttgart cannot be determined with certainty: it is known that under the first chief conductor, J.S. Kesser, eleven boys belonged to the court chapel in 1699, who probably sang in both sacred and secular performances at the court theater. At that time, opera choirs were small; the records from 1718 mention a “choir of eight people“, to which the choirboys were added. At the beginning of the 19th century, Stuttgart already had a 38-member theater choir (ten sopranos, six altos, twelve tenors, and ten basses), but only eight singers were employed full-time.
More recent examples include the stage premieres of Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza in 1960 and Al gran sole carico d'amore, as well as Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (The Little Match Girl), Moses and Aaron, Götterdämmerung, Don Carlo, Die Gezeichneten, Il trovatore, and the world premiere of Adriana Hölszky’s Giuseppe e Sylvia.
In recent decades, der Staatsopernchor has been shaped by Heinz Mende (1946-1980), Ulrich Eistert (1980-2001), Michael Alber (from 2001 to 2012), Johannes Knecht (2012-17), Christoph Heil (2017-18), and Manuel Pujol (since season 2018/19).
The choir has a long history. As early as 1552, under Duke Christoph, there was mention of the “court chapel”, from which nine choir singers and eleven choirboys (soprano and alto) were recruited for opera performances between 1736 and 1750. The exact date of the founding of the Opernchor Stuttgart cannot be determined with certainty: it is known that under the first chief conductor, J.S. Kesser, eleven boys belonged to the court chapel in 1699, who probably sang in both sacred and secular performances at the court theater. At that time, opera choirs were small; the records from 1718 mention a “choir of eight people“, to which the choirboys were added. At the beginning of the 19th century, Stuttgart already had a 38-member theater choir (ten sopranos, six altos, twelve tenors, and ten basses), but only eight singers were employed full-time.
More recent examples include the stage premieres of Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza in 1960 and Al gran sole carico d'amore, as well as Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (The Little Match Girl), Moses and Aaron, Götterdämmerung, Don Carlo, Die Gezeichneten, Il trovatore, and the world premiere of Adriana Hölszky’s Giuseppe e Sylvia.
Important milestones during the tenure of artistic director Bertil Wetzelsberger – who tied Carl Orff to Stuttgart – were the German premiere of Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler in 1946 and the world premiere of Orff’s Bernauerin in 1947.
During the Schäfer/Leitner era, Pope Pius XII was introduced to the choir in 1951 during a guest performance in Rome with Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler. In 1952, the choir gave its first guest performances in Paris with Die Meistersinger, St. Matthew Passion, and Fidelio; in 1955, the Stuttgart choir sang in London, three years later at the Edinburgh Festival, in 1959 at the Vienna State Opera, and in 1967 in Athens. In September 2001, the Staatsoper Stuttgart, in co-production with the Paris Opera, opened the Paris Festival d’automne with five performances of Helmut Lachenmann’s Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (The Little Match Girl). In 2008, the opera choir was invited to perform Actus tragicus at the Mozart Festival in La Coruña, Spain, and in 2009 at the Edinburgh International Festival.
The history of the Staatsopernchor has always been marked by intensive collaboration with outstanding directors, including, in recent years, Peter Konwitschny, Martin Kušej, Jossi Wieler, and Sergio Morabito, and, in past decades, Günther Rennert and Wieland Wagner. The vocal and dramatic qualities of the Staatsopernchor were particularly evident in performances of Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza 1960 and Al gran sole carico d’amore, Arnold Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron, the world premiere of Adriana Hölszky’s Giuseppe e Sylvia, Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and Parsifal, Franz Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, and Mark André’s opera Wunderzeichen.
During the Schäfer/Leitner era, Pope Pius XII was introduced to the choir in 1951 during a guest performance in Rome with Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler. In 1952, the choir gave its first guest performances in Paris with Die Meistersinger, St. Matthew Passion, and Fidelio; in 1955, the Stuttgart choir sang in London, three years later at the Edinburgh Festival, in 1959 at the Vienna State Opera, and in 1967 in Athens. In September 2001, the Staatsoper Stuttgart, in co-production with the Paris Opera, opened the Paris Festival d’automne with five performances of Helmut Lachenmann’s Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (The Little Match Girl). In 2008, the opera choir was invited to perform Actus tragicus at the Mozart Festival in La Coruña, Spain, and in 2009 at the Edinburgh International Festival.
The history of the Staatsopernchor has always been marked by intensive collaboration with outstanding directors, including, in recent years, Peter Konwitschny, Martin Kušej, Jossi Wieler, and Sergio Morabito, and, in past decades, Günther Rennert and Wieland Wagner. The vocal and dramatic qualities of the Staatsopernchor were particularly evident in performances of Luigi Nono’s Intolleranza 1960 and Al gran sole carico d’amore, Arnold Schoenberg’s Moses und Aron, the world premiere of Adriana Hölszky’s Giuseppe e Sylvia, Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and Parsifal, Franz Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, and Mark André’s opera Wunderzeichen.
Der Staatsopernchor Stuttgart
© Matthias Baus
© Matthias Baus
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Concerts with the Staatsopernchor Stuttgart
Lunchtime concert
On April 21, 2026, members of the Staatsopernchor will perform at a lunchtime concert. The exact program remains a surprise for now... Admission is free!