Zurich Opera House Children’s Choir

Zurich Opera House Children’s Choir was established in 1985 for Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s new production of Bizet’s “Carmen”, and gave guest performances of this successful production soon afterwards in Dresden and Athens.

A permanent ensemble gradually developed, performing in a wide variety of productions at the Opera House, but also in Zurich’s Hallenstadion stadium with Puccini’s “Turandot” and Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” (in Russian).

Approximately 50 children now regularly sing with this ensemble. Some even perform smaller solo roles in several operas.

The number of performances in the Opera House’s increasingly lavish productions currently amounts ten to fifteen different works each year.

Outside the Opera House, the Children’s Choir has in recent years frequently given church concerts under its conductors Jürg Hämmerli and Ernst Raffelsberger, as well as in “Anna Jenatsch” by Martin Derungs under Räto Tschupp, in Berlioz’ “Te Deum” under Alex Hug in the Tonhalle Zurich, as well as at a Céline Dion concert in Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium.

Guest tours have taken the Children’s Choir to Germany (Krefeld), Italy (Verona) and the United Kingdom (London).