Hans Karl-Friedrich Beringer (born 7 January 1948, in

Neuendettelsau Neuendettelsau is a local authority in Middle Franconia, Germany. Neuendettelsau is situated 20 miles southwest of Nuremberg and 12 miles east of Ansbach. Since 1947 it has a Lutheran seminary ( ''Augustana Hochschule''). Diakonie Neuendettelsau ...

) is a German choral and orchestral conductor, who was from 1978 to 2011 the conductor of the Windsbacher Knabenchor.

Life

Born in

, Beringer studied at the Meistersinger Conservatory in Nuremberg. In 1970, still a student, he founded the Amadeus Choir and the Amadeus Orchestra. From 1976 to 1978 he was artistic director of the International Festival Youth Choir of Bayreuth. In 1978 he succeeded

Hans Thamm Hans Thamm (1921 – 13 March 2007) was a German choral conductor, the founder and for more than three decades director of the boys' choir Windsbacher Knabenchor. Career Thamm was born in Kamenz, Saxony. He received his first musical training in ...

as director of the boys' choir Windsbacher Knabenchor and led the ensemble to world fame. Beringer has worked together with renowned orchestras, especially with the

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) is a German broadcast orchestra based in Berlin. The orchestra performs its concerts principally in the Philharmonie Berlin. The orchestra is administratively based at the ''Rundfunk Berlin-Branden ...

, the

Munich Radio Orchestra The Munich Radio Orchestra (German: ''Münchner Rundfunkorchester'') is a German symphony broadcast orchestra based in Munich. It is one of the two orchestras affiliated with the Bavarian Radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk), the other being the Bavaria ...

and the

Münchener Kammerorchester The Munich Chamber Orchestra (german: Münchener Kammerorchester, links=no, italic=no, or MKO) is a German chamber orchestra based in Munich. Its primary concert venue is the Prinzregententheater, Munich. The MKO also gives concerts in Munich at ...

. Since 1981 he has been a regular at national and international music festivals, known for conducting choral works with orchestra, such as Bach's '' Mass in B minor'', '' St Matthew Passion'', '' St John Passion'', and ''

Christmas Oratorio The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...

'', Mendelssohn's ''

Elijah Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My El (deity), God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic language, Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) w ...

'', Mozart's '' Requiem'', Stravinski's ''Psalmensinfonie'', and ''

Ein deutsches Requiem ''A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures'', Op. 45 (german: Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift, links=no) by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, a soprano and a baritone soloist, compos ...

'' by Brahms. He was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by then President Richard von Weizsäcker for his outstanding services to the youth. In 2007, he and his choir received the

Rheingau Musikpreis The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

. On 12 February 2008, Beringer was awarded an honorary doctorate of the Augustana-Hochschule Neuendettelsau. In September 2010 he announced that he resigned his position as artistic director of the Windsbacher Knabenchor. On 1 February 2012, Martin Lehmann became his successor. He lives in Merkendorf.

Tours

As a choral and orchestral conductor, Beringer has been a regular guest at international music festivals, including Bachfest Schaffhausen,

Bachfest Leipzig The Bachfest Leipzig (Leipzig Bach Festival) is a music festival which takes place annually, in the month of June, in the city of Leipzig, where J. S. Bach worked as the Thomaskantor from 1723 until his death in 1750. The current artistic directo ...

Bachwoche Ansbach The Bachwoche Ansbach (Ansbach Bach Week) is a biennial music festival in Ansbach, Germany, dedicated to the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach, held since 1947. The main venues are the Orangerie and the great hall of the palace Residenz Ansb ...

, at the Brandenburg Summer Concerts, the

Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival is a classical music festival held each summer throughout the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. History The festival was founded in 1986 by German concert pianist Justus Frantz. In 2006, the 2 ...

and the

Rheingau Musik Festival The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

where Beringer conducted the choir 17 times. Concerts there included Bach's cantatas '' O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34'', ''

Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg, BWV 149 (: One sings with joy about victory), 149, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the work in Leipzig for Michaelmas and first performed it on 29 September 1729. It is the last of his three extant cantatas for the feast. Pi ...

'', ''

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190 (Sing a new song to the Lord), , is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote it in Leipzig for the New Year's Day and first performed it on 1 January 1724 as part of his first cantata cycle. He adapted it in 1730 to , for the celebrati ...

'', and ''

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

'' in 2007, Bach's '' St John Passion'' in

Eberbach Abbey Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque and early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the most significant architectural heritage sites i ...

in 2009 and a final Christmas concert in the

Kurhaus Wiesbaden The Kurhaus ("cure house", ) is the spa house in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany. It serves as the city's convention centre, and the social center of the spa town. In addition to a large and a smaller hall, it houses a restaurant and the ...

in 2011. Concerts with the choir took him not only to other European countries (Norway, Finland, Malta, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Greece), but also to the Middle East (Israel), the Far East (China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore), Australia, the USA and South America (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay).

References

External links

*
Karl-Friedrich Beringer / Charisma und musikalische Leidenschaft
Windsbacher Knabenchor
Amadeus-Chor
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beringer, Karl Friedrich 1948 births Living people People from Ansbach (district) German male conductors (music) Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 21st-century German conductors (music) 21st-century German male musicians