Michael Reif is founder and conductor of the Europäischer Kammerchor and the Kölner Kurrende. Stylistic variety, curiosity about unknown repertoire, extensive research, and a deep musical understanding are the unmistakable hallmarks of his interpretations. Since his debut with Carl Orff’s cycle Trionfi , he has regularly conducted at the Philharmonie Cologne, as well as in many concert halls throughout Europe and the USA. With the Gürzenich-Chor, which he conducted for 15 years, he was invited to give a series of six concerts in Tokyo. Michael Reif has a special interest in works of the 20th and 21st centuries. He conducted the Cologne premieres of Bernstein’s 2nd Symphony and Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio, and regularly conducts works by contemporary composers such as Nystedt, Pärt, and Sandström. He fosters close contacts with international partner choirs, and is particularly involved in encouraging the up-and-coming generation of musicians. Michael Reif teaches choral and orchestral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and is a visiting lecturer at the Conservatorium Maastricht, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, and George Mason University in Washington, D. C.
