The Zürcher Sing-Akademie was founded at the beginning of 2011 with the aim of providing Switzerland’s orchestras and festivals with a new vocal partner after the Swiss Chamber Choir dissolved following 14 successful years. In close collaboration with the Tonhalle Society in Zürich and other major musical institutions throughout the country, British conductor Tim Brown has now created an elite choir comprising the best professionally educated choral singers. A training program for emerging talent is additionally planned and will be integrated into the Academy’s work. Along with appearances with various orchestras, for its inaugural season the Zürcher Sing-Akademie will perform Bach’s St. John Passion and plans an a cappella program of works by Bach, Britten, and Martin along with a world premiere of music by New York composer Nico Muhly. Tim Brown began his musical training with the choir of Westminster Abbey and was later an alto choral scholar in the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and a layclerk in New College Choir, Oxford. This was followed by a number of years as a founder-member of The Scholars vocal ensemble. For three decades Tim Brown served as Director of Music at Clare College in Cambridge, where he led the Clare College Choir. His artistic work has resulted in numerous CDs, concerts, and projects with such conductors as John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington, Ivor Bolton, and René Jacobs. Since 1986 Brown has led the English Voices; he is additionally one of two permanent conductors of the recently founded Cambridge University Consort of Voices and has performed as a guest conductor with choruses all over the world.
August 2011