Netherlands Radio Choir

From a cappella choral music to pieces with symphony orchestra, and from romantic to contemporary: with this broad repertoire, the Netherlands Radio Choir is adept at all genres. The ensemble is also prominently featured as a radio choir in the concert series on NPO Klassiek. In September 2017, the choir, along with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, received the Concertgebouw Prize for their significant contribution to the artistic profile of the Amsterdam concert hall over an extended period.

With over 60 members, the Netherlands Radio Choir is the only professional choir of this size in the Netherlands. Most of it’s concerts take place within the broadcast series AVROTROS Vrijdagconcert, NTR ZaterdagMatinee, and Het Zondagochtend Concert. The choir is primarily heard together with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in operas, oratorios, and cantatas, but also includes a cappella choral music in its repertoire. Particularly noteworthy are the many commissioned works and premieres that are part of the choirs repertoire, such as music by Mathilde Wantenaar, Alfred Momotenko-Levitsky, and Bart Visman.

After World War II, the Commission for Radio Broadcasting was tasked with forming new ensembles that would be available to all broadcasters. This led to the creation of the Netherlands Radio Choir in 1945. Since then, the choir has played an indispensable role in the Dutch musical life. The choir performed premieres of major 20th-century composers such as Boulez, Ligeti, and Messiaen. Historically significant was the Dutch premiere of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem in 1964, conducted by the composer himself and Bernard Haitink.

All chief conductors hold fond memories of their time with the Netherlands Radio Choir. The first chief conductor was Kenneth Montgomery. He was succeeded by Robin Gritton, Martin Wright, Simon Halsey, Celso Antunes, and Gijs Leenaars. They were followed by Klaas Stok (choir leader) and Benjamin Goodson. Peter Dijkstra became the first guest conductor in September 2018, and Michael Gläser had been a regular guest conductor since 2010.

Since September 1, 2020, Benjamin Goodson has been the chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Choir. After conducting the opera A Village Romeo and Juliet by Frederick Delius in the NTR ZaterdagMatinee in December 2018, many choir members expressed a desire to appoint him as chief conductor. “From our first project together, I felt a genuine connection with this wonderful ensemble, a jewel in the European classical landscape,” Goodson said after becoming chief conductor. “For me, the choir is defined by the intensity of its sound – by its humanity.”