Udo Witt (Conductor, Organ)

Born: Germany

When the Kirchengemeinde Hamborn and Kirchenkreis Duisburg-Nord tried to choose the right person for the Kantor position at the Friedenskirche in autumn 1991, several candidates were presented before. Udo Witt, so far Kantor in Süchteln, was unanimously elected.

Udo Witt took over immediately the choir work even before his official appointment. He worked with the Chorgemeinschaft (Community Choir) in addition to J.S. Bach's great passions (Johannes-Passion (BWV 245); Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244); Markus-Passion (BWV 247)) and two great romantic oratorios Paulus and Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn, and his 2^nd Symphony Lobgesang. But he also used by his predecessor developed repertoire of the choir. Thus, in addition to well-known classics like the J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) or W.A. Mozart's Krönungsmesse and famous works in less familiar editions (George Frideric Handel's Messiah in the arrangement of W.A. Mozart, Mozart's Requiem in the reconstruction of the American music scholar Robert Levin).

Furthermore, Udo Witt performed with the Chorgemeinschaft contemporary church music. So he directed in 1995 the West German premiere of Dresdner Requiem by Rudolf Mauersberger, and in 2000 the performance of Markus-Passion (BWV 247) with the contemporary style newly composed recitatives by Johannes H.E Koch.

Another focus was put by Udo Witt in the work on a-cappella literature. Their longest concert tour took the Chorgemeinschaft in 1998 to Israel and other countries with Liebesliederwalzern by Johannes Brahms. As a permanent instrumental partner Udo Witt founded the Kammerorchester der Kantorei that consists of members of the nearby school and symphony orchestra musicians, who come together for rehearsals and performances.

Udo Witt introduced again the term "Kantorei". He understands the "Kantorei der Friedenskirche" as the entire church music work of Friedenskirche Hamborn, which includes, in addition to the Chorgemeinschaft and the Kammerorchester, the "Spatzenkantorei", the "Mini- und Kindermusizierkreise", the "Kammermusikkreis", the "Jugendkantorei" and the "Blechbläserensemble ".

Source: Kantorei-Hamborn Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (March 2009)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2009)

Udo Witt: Short Biography | Kantorei der Friedenskirche Hamborn | Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Geschichte, Kantorei-Hamborn, Chor, Ludwig Richter, Udo Witt ... [German]