The radio choir of SWR is one of the international top ensembles on the professional choir scene. Ever since the ensemble was founded almost 75 years ago it has devoted its passion and extraordinary vocal competence to exemplary performances and the further development of vocal music.

The instrumental tonal culture and the vocal and stylistic flexibility of the singers are unique and do not only fascinate the audiences in international concert halls, but also the composers. More than 250 works were written for the SWR Vokalensemble over the past decades and new ones are added every year. In addition to contemporary music the SWR Vokalensemble specifically focusses on the demanding choral works of the Romantic and classical modern period.

From 2004 to 2020 Marcus Creed was the chief conductor of the SWR Vokalensemble. Under his direction the ensemble was awarded numerous prizes for its chamber music culture of interpretation and its stylistic confidence: the “Deutsche Schallplattenkritik” Annual Award, the “Echo Klassik”, the “Diapason d’Or”, the “Choc de la Musique” and the “Grand Prix du Disque” to name but a few. Since 2020 Yuval Weinberg has been the ensemble’s artistic director. With the recording of the complete choral works by György Ligeti, released in 2023, he presented his first recording as chief conductor of the SWR Vokalensemble.