The Forum Thomanum (styled forum thomanum ) is a music educational campus developed from 2002 in Leipzig , Saxony, Germany, as the new home of the Thomanerchor which was founded in 1212. It was conceived in 2002 by Georg Christoph Biller , then Thomaskantor , and others, to provide an internationally oriented innovative campus for a future of the traditional choir which was defined until then by Thomaskirche and Thomasschule .
21-487: The campus was inaugurated in 2012, where up to 1,200 boys and young men are given cultural education based on a religious foundation, social competence and democratic standing. In 2002, Georg Christoph Biller , then Thomaskantor , and others conceived the plan to broaden the education of the Thomanerchor which was founded in 1212 and conducted by Johann Sebastian Bach from 1723. The boys were until then educated at
42-651: A better society. The idea of a campus became a model for similar projects of city development ( Stadtentwicklung ) in Bremen and Nürnberg which were supported by the Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung from 2007 to 2015. In 2012, the Thomanerchor was awarded a special prize of the Echo Klassik for its international education campus. Source: The former church grounds of
63-680: A composer. Active as Thomaskantor after the German reunification , Biller returned the Thomanerchor to its original focus on church music . He was instrumental in the new buildings for the choir's boarding school, the Forum Thomanum , and in the celebration of its 800th anniversary in 2012. Born in Nebra , the son of a pastor, Biller grew up with three siblings. At age 10, he joined the Thomanerchor in Leipzig, living in its boarding school. He
84-423: A future of the traditional choir which was defined until then by Thomaskirche and Thomasschule . The campus was inaugurated in 2012, where up to 1,200 boys and young men are given cultural education based on a religious foundation, social competence and democratic standing. In 2002, Georg Christoph Biller , then Thomaskantor , and others conceived the plan to broaden the education of the Thomanerchor which
105-441: A religious foundation, social competence and democratic standing (" mehr kulturell gebildete, religiös gebundene, sozial kompetente, demokratisch gesinnte Menschen ") for a better society. The idea of a campus became a model for similar projects of city development ( Stadtentwicklung ) in Bremen and Nürnberg which were supported by the Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung from 2007 to 2015. In 2012,
126-519: A week there, Motette every Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, typically including a Bach cantata for the liturgical occasion , and Sunday service. In 2009, he began performances of the six cantatas of Bach's Christmas Oratorio in St. Thomas and St. Nicholas in services for the feast days of the Christmas season as Bach had intended 275 years earlier. From 2002, Biller was instrumental in
147-621: The Thomasschule with boarding facility, to perform mainly in the Thomaskirche . Besides Biller, Stefan Altner , Roland Weise and Christian Wolff [ de ] were instrumental in planning Forum Thomanum as a campus for music education ( musischer Bildungscampus ), an internationally oriented institution to care for the future of the traditional choir investing in education. Historic buildings were to be modernised and expanded, and new buildings added. An association to promote
168-463: The anglican All Saints' Church destroyed in World War II are integrated into the educational campus. Georg Christoph Biller Georg Christoph Biller (20 September 1955 – 27 January 2022) was a German choral conductor. He conducted the Thomanerchor as the sixteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach from 1992 to 2015. He was also a baritone , an academic teacher, and
189-836: The 1990s. In 1980, he became choral conductor at the Gewandhaus and lecturer of choral conducting at the Kirchenmusikschule Halle . In 1982, Biller obtained his diploma in orchestral conducting from the Internationale Sommerakademie Mozarteum Salzburg . After German reunification , he was a lecturer for choral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold and at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts . In November 1992, Biller
210-539: The Leipzig architects' firm Weis & Volkmann was included in the planning. The first by-law was drawn by the jurist Frieder Schäuble, and a concept for new institutions was presented, for a bilingual day care centre, a primary school and a middle school, a music academy, and the Lutherkirche [ de ] as a building with several functions. They were to be connected to the existing Thomasalumnat [ de ] and sports facilities. A project of
231-464: The city of Leipzig, it has been recognised as innovative and unique in Germany. The city estimated the total investment as Euro 30 million. The campus was inaugurated in 2012, for the 800th anniversary of the Thomanerchor. Its motto is " glauben singen lernen " (believing singing learning). Up to 1,200 boys and young men are taught with the goal to raise culturally educated young people with
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#1732779513686252-533: The concept and new buildings for the boarding school of the Thomanerchor, the Forum Thomanum as a musical education campus ( musikalischer Bildungscampus ). In 2012, Biller celebrated the 800th anniversary of the Thomanerchor. The internationally recognised event, prepared from 2008, was a highlight of his tenure as Thomaskantor. It exposed works by Bach, but also by Biller. He resigned as Thomaskantor in January 2015 for health reasons. In January 1994, Biller
273-420: The future of the traditional choir investing in education. Historic buildings were to be modernised and expanded, and new buildings added. An association to promote the project was founded in 2002. Members included Biller, Klaus Lindner [ de ] , Burkhard Jung (then mayor of Leipzig) and Christoph Michael Haufe [ de ] . From the 2000s, the project was realised in steps. In 2003,
294-563: The new Thomaskantor, sure that Reize would continue his work with the choir. Biller died on 27 January 2022, at the age of 66. Source: Forum Thomanum The Forum Thomanum (styled forum thomanum ) is a music educational campus developed from 2002 in Leipzig , Saxony, Germany, as the new home of the Thomanerchor which was founded in 1212. It was conceived in 2002 by Georg Christoph Biller , then Thomaskantor , and others, to provide an internationally oriented innovative campus for
315-424: The project was founded in 2002. Members included Biller, Klaus Lindner [ de ] , Burkhard Jung (then mayor of Leipzig) and Christoph Michael Haufe [ de ] . From the 2000s, the project was realised in steps. In 2003, the Leipzig architects' firm Weis & Volkmann was included in the planning. The first by-law was drawn by the jurist Frieder Schäuble, and a concept for new institutions
336-480: The total investment as Euro 30 million. The campus was inaugurated in 2012, for the 800th anniversary of the Thomanerchor. Its motto is " glauben singen lernen " (believing singing learning). Up to 1,200 boys and young men are taught with the goal to raise culturally educated young people with a religious foundation, social competence and democratic standing (" mehr kulturell gebildete, religiös gebundene, sozial kompetente, demokratisch gesinnte Menschen ") for
357-552: Was a member from 1965 to 1974, with Erhard Mauersberger and Hans-Joachim Rotzsch . As Chorpräfekt , he assisted in conducting. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig from 1976 until 1981, orchestral conducting with Rolf Reuter and Kurt Masur , and voice with Bernd Siegfried Weber. In 1976, Biller founded the Leipziger Vokalkreis (later: Leipziger Vocalensemble [ de ] ) which he conducted into
378-532: Was appointed Thomaskantor as the 16th successor of Bach in this position. Biller returned the Thomanerchor to the original focus on church music , which had been neglected while Leipzig was in East Germany ; he established the choir in the liturgy of the Lutheran service and reintroduced Motette , a type of musical vespers service, in the Thomaskirche . The choir performed regularly three times
399-617: Was appointed professor of choral conducting at the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Hochschule . In 1996, he became a member of the Sächsische Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts of Saxony). Biller was married to the actress Ute Loeck. He had depression and a serious neurological disease that increasingly limited his motion, and was reliant on a wheelchair from 2019. In the last months of his life, he exchanged thoughts with Andreas Reize ,
420-450: Was founded in 1212 and conducted by Johann Sebastian Bach from 1723. The boys were until then educated at the Thomasschule with boarding facility, to perform mainly in the Thomaskirche . Besides Biller, Stefan Altner , Roland Weise and Christian Wolff [ de ] were instrumental in planning Forum Thomanum as a campus for music education ( musischer Bildungscampus ), an internationally oriented institution to care for
441-401: Was presented, for a bilingual day care centre, a primary school and a middle school, a music academy, and the Lutherkirche [ de ] as a building with several functions. They were to be connected to the existing Thomasalumnat [ de ] and sports facilities. A project of the city of Leipzig, it has been recognised as innovative and unique in Germany. The city estimated
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