The Windsbacher Knabenchor (Windsbach Boys Choir) is a German choir of boys and young men in Windsbach, Germany.

 

Founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm and since 1978 under the direction of Karl-Friedrich Beringer, the choir is one of the most renowned boys' choirs of the world. The choir is an institution of the Lutheran Church in Bavaria, which raises about 30 percent of the funds required to support both the ensemble and the singers boarding school. The choir received the Rheingau Musikpreis of the Rheingau Musik Festival in 2007.

 

 

The choir's repertoire spans all kinds of disciplines from a cappella to great oratorical masterpieces, such as the Messiah by Handel or Elijah by Mendelssohn Bartholdy. With about 70 singers, the choir conducts about 50 concerts per year. This includes going on tour once or twice per year to locations such as other European countries, the Middle East, Far East, the United States and South America. The choir also accompanied the Presidents of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker and Roman Herzog on their state visits and held a concert for Johannes Rau.

 

 

The German choral conductor, Martin Lehmann, received his first musical training as a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor, one of Germany's oldest boys choirs. At the Musikhochschule Carl-Maria von Weber, he studied choral conducting with Professor Hans-Christoph Rademann. During this time, he was assistant conductor of the Dresdner Kammerchor, as well as founder and director of the chamber choir Cantamus Dresden.

 

In 2000, he was the recipient of the Rudolf Mauersberger Scholarship and completed his degree in 2001. He also worked as a teaching assistant conducting the choir of the Musikhochschule from 2000 to 2005. During this time he continued advanced study in choral conducting and orchestral conducting at Dresden's Musikhochschule. He completed this degree with high honors in 2004.