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The Gemischte Chor Zürich (= GCZ) was founded in 1863 and is one of the prominent concert choirs, which appears regularly at the Zürich's Tonhalle. Together with other choir organizations, the GCZ was determining at the establishment of the Tonhalle (1868) as well as the Konservatoriums Zürich (based 1875) took part and were engaged also at the building of the Tonhalle in 1867, at the building of the Tonhalle organ in 1872 and the new Tonhalle in 1895.
The concert activity of the GCZ began in 1863 with Haydn's Schöpfung. Soon all big oratorios belonged to their repertore, includingd Death Mass (Requiem), Passions, as they still are today. The GCZ has also also performed contemporary music since their inception. Johannes Brahms tried for the first time several of his works with the choir and also directed them again later. Other guest conductors of their own works were Max Bruch, Camille Saint-Saëns und Richard Strauss.
Since April 1996 GCZ is led by Joachim Krause. Beside the traditional choral works, Joachim Krause presents to the public in the autumn concerts unknown or rarely-performed works, such as the War Requiem by B. Britten, the Requiem of Gabriel Fauré, Gloria of Francis Poulenc and Das Gesicht Jesajas by Willy Burkhard. Twice in the year, the GCZ appears with soloists in the big hall of the Tonhalle Zürich. The choir includes at present about 130 active members. |
