The Harvestehuder Kammerchor is a mixed choir from Hamburg, which has existed since 1980.
The choir was founded in 1980 by Kirchenmusikdirektor and composer Claus Bantzer, who was cantor at St. Johannis Harvestehude Hamburg. The chamber choir rehearsed at this church, gave regular concerts and also played a musical role in church services. Until 2008, St. Johannis-Harvestehude was also the sponsor of the chamber choir; with Bantzer's retirement from St. Johannis, the sponsorship passed to a supporting association.[1]
The focus of the chamber choir is on the performance of experimental music that combines different eras and styles, as well as bringing music together with other arts through forms of cross-over. The choir's repertoire includes classical and romantic choral music as well as numerous 20th century compositions, especially jazz music.[2]
There have been among others concert tours to France and Italy. A highlight was the world premiere of the oratorio Stella maris by Helge Burggrabe in September 2006 in Chartres on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the Cathedral there.
Claus Bantzer relinquished the direction of the choir in December 2017.[3] Since 2018, Edzard Burchards has been the choir's director, who is not professionally associated with St. Johannis-Harvestehude. With this, the chamber choir left the parish,[4] and found a new home in the in Hamburg-Winterhude.