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The German choral conductor and composer, Winfried Toll, graduated from the Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck; then studied theology and philosophy in Münster and Freiburg (Breisgau) before he went on to study composition and music education with Klaus Huber and Brian Ferneyhough at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. Following his examinations, he studied voice with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Aldo Baldin as well as conducting with Helmuth Rilling. At this time he taught music and voice at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg and began an active career as a concert and opera singer.
In 1988 Winfried Toll became the conductor of the Camerata Vocale Freiburg; and from 1994 until 2002 he was the choral director of the Kölner Bachverein. In the Fall of 1997, he was called as Professor of choral conducting to the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt a Main. He was also elected Artistic Director of the Frankfurter Kantorei. Since 2007 he has been the Principal Artistic Director of the Daejeon Philharmonic Choir in South Korea and in 1981 he founded the Camerata Vocale Daejeon. He received numerous invitations from outstanding orchestras and ensembles as guest conductor (Concerto Köln, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Freiburger Barockorchester, Balthasar-Neumann-Chor, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, RIAS-Kammerchor). Since 1994 he has been a regular Guest Professor at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, as well as in South Korea, in the Czech Republic and in South Africa.
While still at university, Winfried Toll wrote his first successful compositions: the Organ work Wegkreuze received the prestigious “Altenburger Dom” prize. In 1981 a prize for his Psalm 13 for choir, solos and orchestra followed. In 1985, he received an award from the international Bachakademie in Stuttgart for his composition Wenn Ich Dein Je Vergesse for 16 solo voices and mixed choir. His composition … und hat über uns Gewalt was premiered by the Camerata Vocale Freiburg in November 1996 as part of the 71st Neue Bachgesellschaft: Bachfest in Freiburg. In July 2001, he was commissioned by the festival “Stimmen” in Lörrach to compose a work for the Rascher-Saxophon-Quartett and vocalensemble. This work Reverie was sung in a world premiere by the Camerata Vocale Freiburg. |
