The Copenhagen Chamber Choir CAMERATA

The Copenhagen Chamber Choir CAMERATA was founded in 1965 and is currently one of Denmark’s leading chamber choirs. The choir is a professionally working amateur choir consisting of 25 experienced singers and is conducted by the young conductor Martin Nagashima Toft.

CAMERATA’s repertoire covers a wide field from sacred music to light music but the core repertoire is Western European a cappella choral music. CAMERATA gives many concerts and tours both at home and abroad. Over the last couple of years, the choir has travelled as far as Chile, Brazil, Estonia, England, Australia, and Canada.

In addition to many a cappella concerts, the choir performs two oratorios annually. Three nights every year, The Messiah by Handel attracts a packed house in The Church of Holmen in Copenhagen just before Christmas. Apart from The Messiah, the most frequently recurring oratories on CAMERATAs repertoire list are The St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach, Requiem by W.A. Mozart and The Creation by Joseph Haydn.

The Copenhagen Chamber Choir CAMERATA is an important player on the Danish musical scene and the choir never refuses new demanding projects for reasons of difficulty. Through collaborations with both established and upcoming orchestras, soloists and composers, the choir aims to further a constant development of the classical music scene.

CAMERATA has recorded several CDs with music by Carl Nielsen, Vagn Holmboe and Poul Ruders, to name but a few, as well as a range of CDs with lyrics by Danish poets set to music. Last but not least, the choir has recorded “The Messiah” by Handel, which won the prize for best classical release at the Danish Grammy Awards in 1999.

In September 2006 the choir was awarded the European Choir Prize presented by His Royal Highness Prince Henrik and in 2008 the choir won 1st prize at that year’s Holmboe Competition in Horsens.

So far, 2009 has offered concerts with new Nordic music – including a first performance of music by the young Faeroese composer Trondur Bogason – Mahler’s 8th Symphony with the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Open Air Opera Concert in Jaegerspris and a cappella concerts in Lyngby Culture Centre and in Malmö. In the autumn, the choir is giving concerts at the Copenhagen City Hall for this year’s Culture Night, performing in Trinitatis Church as part of their recurring Night Church arrangements, giving a Christmas Concert in Esajas Church, and giving the annual performance of The Messiah in Church of Holmen. In the spring of 2010 the choir will focus on another primary work of the Baroque Era – this time, also in the Church of Holmen, CAMERATA will be performing Bach’s “Mass in B Minor”.