Wim Oosterhoff has a passion for the performing arts and has been involved in events organisation for over 25 years, as president of the Wellington Youth Orchestra, Nelson Civic Choir and Nelson Performing Arts competitions. A major achievement was staging the New Zealand Premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria. For the Children of Aberfan in Wellington in 2017 under the baton of Dr. Jonathan Griffith, involving the Wellington Youth Orchestra and choristers from New Zealand and Australia. Wim is looking forward to a continued relationship with DCINY.

Vox Kiwiana is an ad hoc choir assembled from singers who performed in the New Zealand premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria. For the Children of Aberfan in Wellington in October 2017. This concert was under the baton of Dr. Jonathan Griffith. The members are from New Zealand (Wellington, Blenheim and Nelson). Being such a geographically spread choir means that rehearsals are coordinated via electronic communication. Vox Kiwiana contributed in 2018 to the Ode to Joy concert with DCINY and some members are singing under Maestro Griffith for the fourth time.

Florian Kirchhofer started at the age of 18 with pipe organ lessons with Father Armin in the monastery Maria Stein. Florian has further developed his musical career with the choir director Education C (with Hansuredi von Arx, Olten) and also in 2016 with the study in B, with degree in St. Gallen. During the last years he also enjoyed singing lessons (2010 - 2011) Michael Pavlu, Basel / 2011 - 2012 with Regula Grundler, Lucerne / 2014 - 2016 with Terhi Lampi, St. Gallen). In 2017 he was musical director of the project "Requiem" by Sir Karl Jenkins.

Under the name «Voce Elysian» there is a Swiss-wide, politically, confessionally and economically independent association based in Solothurn. The association allows singers to participate in a certain "project period" in to bring in a singing project. The basic idea is that the audience is kidnapped for the duration of the concert in a "different world". In the world of music and light. Venturing together, trying out and discovering new and unknown things is the core message that was initiated and organized by the association "Voce Elysian".

Armin Jaeck has started playing the piano at the age of eight and continued with the pipe organ at the age of fifteen. He studied organ and church music at the "Hochschule für Musik" in Munich. Since 1989 he has been working as an organist and a conductor for choir and orchestra in the church of St. Emmeram in Munich.

The Emmeram Singers, founded in 1994 already have performed together with the classical Choir of St. Emmeram "Requiem", "Stabat mater", "The armed man" and "Stella natalis" by Karl Jenkins.

William Perrot, a graduate of Westminster Choir College, is the founding conductor of Kings Chorale. In addition, he is currently the Co-Artistic Director of Nova Voce, Nova Scotia's Provincial Men's Choir. Bill also continues to hone his singing skills by performing with the Halifax Camerata Singers. In 2008 he was awarded the Alumni Merit Award from Westminster Choir College.

Founded in 1982, Kings Chorale is a non-auditioned ensemble of 65 singers. The group performs a wide variety of music from thhe classical repertoire through the popular realm. Our two most recent seasons have included "Requiem for the Living" and "Jubilate" by Dan Forrest. Kings Chorale is pleased to be participating in our fourth DCINY event.

Volker Linz was born in 1966 in Bamberg. After graduation he studied in Würzburg and Mainz church music, musicology and music theory. Further studies and master classes with A. Roessler, M.C. Alain and D. Roth. From 1986 to 1993 he was organist at the Abbey of Haug, Würzburg, from 1992 to 1993 additionally lecturer in composition and organ improvisation at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Since 1993 Volker Linz is a church musician at St. Blasius Ehingen and organ expert for the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Concert activity as a conductor, as director of the choralschola St. Blasius, as well as organist in Germany, Italy and Hungary. Initiator and artistic director of the concerts of sacred music to St. Blasius Ehingen. In his compositions blend Gregorian chorales with elements of jazz. In April 2007 he was appointed church music director. From 2011 to 2013 trained as a bell expert.

The choir of the parish church of St. Blaise is the oldest and most traditional ensemble in the municipality of St. Blaise. For the celebration of the liturgy and for concerts, he works from the Renaissance to the moderate Modern, works for choir a capella and with instrumental or orchestral accompaniment. In the services, songs are played in alternation with the church, as well as, for example, 19th-century motets or an ordinarium with an organ. In past years and decades, sacred oratorios have been prepared and performed in clerical concerts: among others, the great mass compositions by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Bruckner, the "Messiah" by Handel, "The Star of Bethlehem" by Rheinberger and the great requiem settings by Mozart, Fauré and Duruflé.

Bettina Hevendehl, born 26.10.1959, study of church music at "Hochschule für Kirchenmusik, Herford", 1984 - 1993 church musician at Martin Luther Parish, Hamburg, German studies at University of Hamburg, vocal training by Ulla Groenwoldt and Meta Henschen, Hamburg, singing cours with Barbara Schlick - since 1993 church musician and conductor in Soltau - Ev.Stadtkantorat Soltau with several choirs of children, youth, Gospel, Seniors and Ev. Stadtkantorei (oratorio).

"Stadtkantorei Soltau" with about 65 members ist the main choir of Ev. Stadtkantorat Soltau. The repertoire inludes a wide range of musical styles from plain choral and motetts to oratorios of church music as Mozart Requiem, Handel´s Messiah, cantatas and passions of J.S.Bach or Carmina burana as an example for secular music. Singing at the services of the both parishes St. Johannis and Luther is our central purpose but we also love to give one or two great concerts with orchestra and soloists during the year.

Reinhard Schmid received his education as a singer, singing teacher and choir conductor at the Salzburg Music University Mozarteum and has been working in these capacities at the Landesmusikschule Vöcklabruck for the last three decades. In the last few years he has led the project choir "Corolamus" and has brought Sir Karl Jenkins „The Peacemakers“ / Gioacchino Rossini „Stabat Mater“ / John Rutter „Mass of the Children“ / Ariel Ramirez „Misa Criolla“ and other pieces to the stage.

„CoroLamus Vöcklabruck“ is part of the Landesmusikschule in Vöcklabruck, which is an institution of the county Upper Austria, in service of musical education of children and adults alike. The music school offers lessons in instrumental music, as well as for solo singing and choir singing. „CoroLamus Vöcklabruck“ constitutes of present and former students and of external singers who join the choir for specific projects. Under the direction of Reinhard Schmid, the choir has performed the following pieces, amongst others, over the last decade: Sir Karl Jenkins „The Peacemakers“ / Gioacchino Rossini „Stabat Mater“ / John Rutter „Mass of the Children“ / Ariel Ramirez „Misa Criolla“

Richard McCreery studied Music at the University of Ulster and was appointed to Coleraine High School, a girls’ grammar school, in 1998. In 2015 the school amalgamated with the boys’ grammar school, Coleraine Academical institution, and formed Coleraine Grammar School. The school now comprises over 1000 pupils and has 5 choirs. Richard is passionate about singing and its benefits to the well-being of all, so much so that auditions are not required to sing in any of his choirs. He is also Musical Director of Terrace Row Presbyterian Church where he conducts an enthusiastic SATB choir.

The Coleraine Grammar School Choir comprises 38 singers and is non-auditioned ensemble. SATB choral singing is a developing extra-curricular activity in school and participation is on the increase, particularly among young male students. In 2016 it was the Sixth Form Girls’ Chamber Choir who participated in the Carnegie Hall premier performance of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Songs of Sanctuary under the baton of Dr. Jonathan Griffith. We are delighted to be participating in our second DCINY event, especially as the choir is now a true reflection of our co-educational school.

Roelof Bosma studied Music Studies in Amsterdam and the Clarinet for another three years at Music College. After that he was a music-teacher in Hoogeveen and Emmen. He regularly takes courses in singing and conducting. He has been the conductor of Deo Cantemus in Hoogeveen for thirty years, and thirteen years of Kapella Vocale in Emmen. In 2009 he started Collegium Vocale Drenthe, a Bach Cantata Ensemble. In 2014 he started Vocalin Drenthe, a projectchoir which performs pieces of Sir Karl Jenkins and other composers.

Vocalin Drenthe started in 2014 as a projectchoir with successfully performing The Armed Man. This was repeated in 2015. In 2016 and 2019 the Crucifixion by John Stainer was performed during Easter. 2017 saw us on stage with Sir Karl Jenkins' Stabat Mater and 2018 it was Rutter's beautiful Requiem. As we are a projectchoir the size of our choir varies, people can sign in for each project. We do have a steady group of people joining every project with enthousiasm.

Stephen Brockman studied flute at the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music. In 1974 he played with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. In 1979 he was appointed Principal Flute with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 1990s he was Musical Director of the Hong Kong Singers, played Principal Flute in the HK Chamber Orchestra and was in the Lugard Wind Quintet. Stephen has been Musical Director of the Gisborne Singers since 2008 and has directed performances including Mozart's 'Requiem', and Bruckner's 'Te Deum'. In 2015 for the Australia Day Honours, he was awarded the Macedon Ranges Arts Ambassador award.

In 1980 a small madrigal group began rehearsing with founder Barry Firth in a Gisborne lounge room. Now The Gisborne Singers, the choir has been presenting concerts in the Macedon Ranges and beyond ever since. It now numbers sixty voices and since 2008 Stephen Brockman has been Musical Director. We present two major works per year, an informal Cabaret, and at local community events. The Choir’s repertoire includes major works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart and extends to folk songs, musicals, opera choruses and contemporary songs. In May 2018 the Choir presented the Australian premiere of Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria.

We are a young, small, independent group of Swiss singers who were formed out of a bigger group which took part at a Karl Jenkins concert in 2017 at the KKL in Lucerne. Everyone sings in another choir today; that was the birth of the Swiss Ad-Hocs.

JONATHAN BARNHART, Dedham Choral Society’s music director for over 25 years, received the M.Mus. from New England Conservatory of Music and B.A. from Dickinson College. As a vocal soloist Mr. Barnhart has appeared with many organizations, including Alea III, Boston Camerata, Cantata Singers, Ensemble Abendmusik, Musica Viva and, as a professional member for 31 years, the Handel and Haydn Society. Mr. Barnhart has taught at Commonwealth School, Milton Academy, Boston College and the New England Conservatory, and served as organist at churches and temples in the Boston area. He has published numerous editions of choral and organ music.

Dedham Choral Society is one of the Boston area’s premier community choruses, known for the quality of its performances and the vision of its programming. Significant local first performances have included works by Michael Haydn (Missa Sancti Francisci), Felix Mendelssohn (Kyrie in d minor), Lee Hoiby (Hymn to the New Age), Gerald Finzi (In terra pax), Bob Chilcott (Canticles of Light), Andrew Carter (Musick’s Jubilee), Jonathan Willcocks (Magnificat), Peteris Vasks (Dona nobis pacem), Alexander Gretchaninov (Liturgia Domestica), David Diamond (This Sacred Ground) and the New England premier of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall.

Michael Köllner, geboren 01.03.1953, verheiratet, 2 Kinder, 4 Enkelkinder, Beruf Bauingenieur

Großer Chor Hoyerswerda, gegründet 2010, Projektchor mit 65 Sänger(innen) aus 9 Partnerchören aus dem Stadtraum Hoyerswerda, bisherige Projekte: Aufführung der Rocksuite "Sixtinische Madonna" mit der Band Electra, Aufführung "Magnificat" von John Rutter mit der Neuen Lausitzer Philharmonie, Aufführung der Friedensmesse "The armed Man ..." von Sir Karl Jenkins mit der Elblandphilharmonie Sachsen, musikalische Leiterin Kerstin Lieder

Reinhard Kraemer studied churchmusic at the music-university in Trossingen. 1982 he got his first job at the Sonnenberg-Church in Stuttgart. 1992 he changed to Ellwangen to be the churchmusician at Evangelische Stadtkirche. He conducts the Ellwanger Kantorei and Ellwanger Jugendchor, plays the organ and manages concerts.

Ellwanger Kantorei was founded in 1894 as the church-choir of Evangelische Stadtkirche Ellwangen. The Kantorei sings in church-services and concerts.

Alongside his work with the Sittingbourne Orpheus Choral Society, George is also currently serving as Musical Director of the Phoenix Choir of Crawley, the OLOL Chorus and the London Philanthropic Orchestra. He studied music at the University of Birmingham, went on to achieve a distinction in his Masters degree in conducting at the University of Surrey and has studied with world-renowned conducting tutors such as Colin Metters, Peter Stark and Jorma Panula. He is also active as a violinist, viola player and singer.

Formed during the Second World War (in spite of the logistical hardships that entalied), SOCS has been running ever since and recently celebrated it's 75th anniversary with a concert featuring a variety of music performed over this time, including pieces by Vivaldi, Rutter, Dvorak and Vaughan Williams among many others. With a membership of 75, the choir continues to tackle interesting and challenging works in a variety of styles. SOCS also raises money for a nominated charity each year, currently the Leukaemia Research Foundation.

Mrs. Maiorino-Dünnebier studied vocals and conduction at the University of Stuttgart. She provides vocal training in well-known choirs an ensembles in Stuttgart area. She conducts the vocale ensemle 'Die Damen' and two other choirs. She also teaches singing classes. Mrs. Maiorino-Dünnebier sings alto 1 and performs solo concerts as well.

The ensemble 'Die Damen' was formed by Mrs. Maiorino-Dünnebier in 2016. The ensemble singers are only women, who sing semi-professional, but with a high standard. Once a week there is a rehearsal with extra voice training. The repertoire is classically oriented through the centuries. It dives as well into church music.