Yesterday, the Leipzig City Council appointed Gotthold Schwarz to the office of Thomas Cantor. He will be the 17th Thomas Cantor since Johann Sebastian Bach.
After the selection committee chaired by Mayor Burghard Jung was unable to agree on any of the four remaining candidates, a unanimous decision was made to end the selection process and appoint Gotthold Schwarz to the office of Thomas Cantor. Schwarz has served as acting Thomas Cantor on several occasions in the past, demonstrating his ability to meet the demands of the office and develop the musical quality of the Thomanerchor to the highest standards.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mr Schwarz and wish him every success for the future!
New Thomas Cantor Appointed
25 May 2016
The selection process for a new Thomas Cantor in Leipzig ended with a surprise decision: Gotthold Schwarz, who has been the interim musical director of the Thomanerchor since the resignation of Georg Christoph Biller, will now be officially appointed to the post. According to reports, his new contract will run at least until 2020.
Last year’s official call for applicants was followed by a lengthy selection process. Four of the more than 40 applicants were chosen to work with the Thomanerchor for a trial period of one week each.
After the four trial weeks with the candidates Teutschbein, Flämig, Langer and Jung, the latter two were eliminated, and Teutschbein and Flämig remained in the running. Now the committee has nominated Gotthold Schwarz (64), who was never involved in the selection process – neither as a candidate nor as an evaluator.
A surprising turn of events. We would like to congratulate Gotthold Schwarz, who has proved his excellent abilities as interim Thomas Cantor for well over a year now, as well as in the past. It will be wonderful for him to no longer work on a temporary basis but instead have the opportunity to shape and influence the development of the choir in the longer term. We are looking forward to the energy and creativity he will bring to the podium.
Photo: Thomanerchor/ Matthias Knoch