History

In the summer semester of 1966, Hans Michael Beuerle, then still a student at the Frankfurt University of Music, took over a small student choir at the University of Frankfurt. Soon, this ensemble attracted attention far beyond Frankfurt for its high quality of sound and special programs. After initial recordings with the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation, a regular collaboration with other German broadcasting stations quickly developed. The choir produced its first records, received invitations to various festivals, and performed concerts in many cities in Germany and across Europe. Several composers wrote new pieces for the choir.
In 1984, the Chamber Choir Frankfurt - now the name of the ensemble - participated with a recording by the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation in the International Choir Competition of the European Broadcasting Union. Not only did it win the first prize in the category of mixed choirs, but it also received the special prize donated by BBC London for the best interpretation of a contemporary work. This marked the first time a German ensemble had won the overall title of this prestigious international choir competition.
In 1991, the choir, which had not regularly rehearsed in Frankfurt for some time, relocated to Freiburg, where Beuerle had been teaching as a professor of choral and orchestral conducting at the University of Music since 1989. With the change of location came a change of name.
Over a weekend, accompanied by lectures and workshops, the choir presented the entire choral works of its new namesake and has since been known as the Anton Webern Choir Freiburg. The change of location and name also marked an increasing professionalization of the ensemble. The 12 to 24 singers, depending on the program, gather after individual preparation for intensive rehearsal phases, and then present their work to the public in concerts and recordings.
After the death of Hans Michael Beuerle in 2015, Bernhard Gärtner took over the leadership of the ensemble.