History

2008

May 17th
Performing “Carmina Burana” with the Knabenchor Hannover and the NDR Radio Philharmonic

October 11th – October 25th
Tour of China

October 31st
Participating in the Television Church Service in Hildesheim to mark Reformation Day

2007

May 15th
Offering musical accompaniment to the Meeting of European Ministers of Family Affairs in France

May 24th – 29th
Performing in Minsk, Belarus

June 14th
Performing at the opening ceremony of the Global Summit of Women, Berlin

October 24th – November 1st
Tour of Finland

December 10th
Concert at the Christmas party of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture

2006

April 9th – 10th
Appearing at the 6th symphony concert of the Hanover State Opera

May 16th
Charity Concert for UNICEF, Hanover

May 24th – 27th
1st Prize in the “Girls Choir” category at the 7th German Choir Competition, Kiel

October 14th – 27th
Tour of Italy

December 19th
Concert celebrating the 80th birthday of German Composer Alfred Koerppen in Hanover Market Church

2005

October 15th – 17th
Appearing during the finale of the European Broadcasting Union competition “Let the Peoples Sing”, hosted by WDR Television in Cologne

2004

April 8th – 9th
Participating in the St Matthew Passion in the Hanover Market Church

April 16th
Birthday serenade for German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the Theater am Aegi, Hanover

September 25th
Charity concert for the Child Protection Agency

November 12th – November 13th
Performing in Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” in the Hanover Market Church

December 14th
Concert in the Saint Michael's Church, Hamburg

2003

June 5th – 11th
2nd Prize at the International Chamber Choir Competition, Marktoberdorf

June 20th – 21st
Performing at the Chorfest Berlin

December 7th
Performing Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 3” in the Hanover Congress Centrum

2002

April 15th
Press Conference to launch the book and exhibition ”Die Stimme der Mädchen” (The Girl's Voice) in the Old Town Hall, Hanover

September 12th  – 13th
Performing Gustav Holst’s “Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda”, in collaboration with the NDR Radio Philharmonic

October 1st  – 9th
Tour of Germany

December 1st
Concert recording for NDR Television

2001

March 25th
Awarded the Zelterplakette, and performed in front of the President of Germany in Wolfenbüttel

April 12th – 13th
Participating in the St Matthew Passion in the Hanover Market Church

May 31st
Opening concert of the International Chamber Choir Competition, Marktoberdorf

September 28th - October 14th
Tour of USA and Canada

2000

February 16th – 22nd
Choir festival in Israel

September 2nd – 3rd
Concerts at the World's Fair EXPO in Hanover, together with the Little Singers of Tokyo and Norwegian ensemble Concentus

October 19th – 28th
Tour of Norway

1999

January 31st
Ceremony to mark the retirement of Ludwig Rutt, after his 47 year-long directorship of the Mädchenchor Hannover;  Prof. Gudrun Schröfel takes over

May
Tour of the Czech Republic, with an appearance at the Festival TERRA CANTAT in Sumperk, following an invitation from Petr Eben

August
Concert in Cologne Cathedral

September
Seven choir members are awarded first prizes in the regional competition of Jugend Musiziert (Young Musicians competition); three further choir members are awarded prizes in the national competition

October
Tour of Poland

1998

Radio recordings for NDR

Tour of Hungary

October 1st
Ludwig Rutt is awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Lower Saxony

November 19th
Gudrun Schröfel is awarded the Lower Saxony Art Prize for Music and donates the prize money of DM 12,000 toward funding the Mädchenchor

1997

Opening concert of the Mendelssohn Festival in Montabaur, Germany

Tour of Sweden

1st Prize at the International Brahms Competition, Hamburg

1996

Tour of Japan

1995

Performing at the Niedersächsische Musiktage festival

1st Prize at the International Smetana Choir Competition in Litomyšl, Czech Republic

3rd Prize at the International Choral Contest in Tolosa, Spain

1994

Special concert at the 4th German Choir Competition, Fulda

Recording an album in the NDR Studios, Hanover

Tour of Chile

1993

Recording an album at the Hanover University of Music and Drama

Tour of France, including performing at the International Choir Festival, Nantes

Collaboration with the Belgian orchestra Convivium Musicum

1992

Tour of Israel, including performing at the Vokal-Festival, Tel Aviv

Founding the Circle of Friends of the Mädchenchor Hannover

Concerts celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Mädchenchor in Hanover Market Church and the NDR Great Studio, Hanover

Tour of Finland

Representing Germany by performing as part of the Premières Assises Européennes de la Musique in Strasbourg

1991

Tour of Romania

1990

1st Prize in the “Girls Choir” category at the 3rd German Choir Competition, Stuttgart

Tour of the former Soviet Union

1989

3rd Prize in the “Female Choirs” category at the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf, as part of a tour of Southern Germany

Tour of the USA

1988

Concerts in Berlin, and radio recordings at the SFB
Tour of Hungary

1987

1st Prize in the “Female Choirs” category at the International May Choir Competition in Varna, Bulgaria
Awarded the Lower Saxony State Prize for Culture

1986

Tour of the South of France and Spain
Decorated with the Stadtplakette Hannover (City Badge of Hanover)

1985

Concert tour of Italy
Concert tour of Austria and Czechoslovakia

1984

Participating in the Fano International Polyphonic Choir Festival, Italy

Tour of Finland

1983

Tour of Brazil

1st Prize at the BBC Competition “Let the Peoples sing” in London, England

1982

1st Prize in the Girls Choir category at the 1st German Choir Competition, Cologne

Tour of France

Awarded the Bernhard Sprengel Prize for Music

1981

Tour of Belgium

1st Prize in the “Female Choirs“ category at the International Guido d'Arezzo Polyphonic Competition in Italy

1980

Tour of Japan

Tour of Poland

Beginning of annual Christmas concerts in the Hanover Market Church

1979

Tour of England, including radio recordings for the BBC in London

1978

Tour of the former Soviet Union, including TV appearances in Moscow

1977

Tour of Italy, including singing at a Papal Audience in St. Peter's Basilica

November 5th
Gala concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mädchenchor Hannover at NDR's Great Studio in Hanover

November 6th
Reception at the former Hanover Guildhall (now Hanover Congress Centre), where the Choir's circle of friends gather

1976

Tour of Turkey and Greece, including radio recordings in Istanbul

1975

The Youth Choir is formed under the direction of Georg Schönwälder

Tour of France and Belgium

1974

Tour of Austria and Hungary

1973

Tour of Spain and Portugal

1972

Tour of Sweden

1971

Performances in West Berlin

The Concert Choir now rehearses twice a week, on Wednesdays at 5pm-7pm and on Saturdays at 4pm-7pm

1970

Tour of Finland

1969

Summer
First rehearsal camp at the Leibniz School Hanover's country hostel

Tour of former Czechoslovakia and Austria, including radio recordings in Salzburg

1968

Tour of the South of France and Northern Spain

1967

Tour of England and Ireland, including radio recordings for the BBC

Start of choral voice training by Gudrun Schröfel

1966

Tour of Austria and Switzerland, including radio recordings for Radio Salzburg

1965

Tour of the South of France

1964

1st prize at the European Music Festival for Young People, Neerpelt, Belgium

Autumn
Tour of Northern France, including radio recordings in Brussels

1963

Autumn
Tour of England, including radio recordings for the BBC

1962

Concert Choir rehearsals now take place on Saturdays from 4 - 7pm
The Junior Level rehearses from 3 - 4pm in the Haus der Jugend youth centre

April
Tour of Holland, including radio sessions for Radio Hilversum

May 18th
Homecoming concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Mädchenchor Hannover

Autumn
Tour of Sweden, featuring radio recordings for Radio Stockholm

1961

October
First foreign concert tour, as the Choir visits Denmark

1959

September 5th
Concert at the former City Academy of Music, Berlin (now Berlin University of the Arts)

1958

December
Decorated with the hannoversche Stadtwappen (Hanover's coat of arms) by Lord Mayor Holweg

Introduction of choral vocal training (given by Mrs Junge and Mrs Elisabeth Dimpfel-Apel)

1956

First concert tour across Hesse and Lower Saxony

Debut radio recording for NDR (North German Broadcasting) in Hanover, the first of many radio sessions

1953

April 25th
The Choir’s first ever concert, performing in the auditorium of the former Hanover Academy of Music and Drama

1952

May
The "Mädchenchor Hannover" is founded by Heinz Hennig

Autumn
Ludwig Rutt takes over the conductorship and becomes the Choir's Musical Director

Rehearsals take place on Saturdays at 4pm-6pm in the choir room of the Haus der Jugend youth centre