Artists biographies
BonnSonata

Most of the singers in the vocal ensemble, which has won awards both at home and abroad, learned to sing, while still at primary school, as members of the Rhineland Children’s and Youth Choir based in Bonn. Many of the choristers decided that they wanted to go on singing as young women, and so the “Vokalensemble des Rheinischen Kinder- und Jugendchors” was born, which in 2002 gave itself a new and more snappy name: BonnSonata, which, it is hoped, will bring out both the joy that comes from music-making and the excellent sound that they produce. For bureaucratic purposes, the ensemble goes by the name of “Frauen-Kammerchor des Rheinischen Kinder- und Jugendchores Bonn” (“Women’s Chamber Choir of the Rhineland Children’s and Youth Choir, Bonn”).

Since January 2001 this excellent ensemble has been conducted by Markus Karas, the regional and Minster Cantor of the City of Bonn. It has extended its repertoire in particular to include contemporary music, and developed its sound. Thus in 2005 and 2009 BonnSonata won the North Rhine Westphalia State Choral Competition, and won third prize at the German Choral Competition in Kiel (2006) and Dortmund (2010).

Together with the Bonn Minster choir they produced a CD back in 2001 already. In the series münster edition, it includes Beethoven’s Mass in C Major op. 86. In 2007 they produced a CD of their own with Christmas music under the title “Weihnachtskonzert”.

All of the choir’s concert appearances, for example at the Bonn singing festival CANTABOnn, have been met with great critical acclaim. BonnSonata has also appeared at the Beethovenfest Bonn in past years.

Since 2006 the singers have been taking individual lessons with the Cologne-based soprano and concert singer Susanna Martin, who is responsible for the main elements of the choral sound.