ITW - Christo Burger

Während eines Konzerts flüstert ein Bratscher mit seinem Pultnachbarn: "Ist das wahr, daß dein Vertrag für die nächste Spielzeit nicht verlängert wird?" - "Ja, stimmt, nur deshalb, weil ich während einer Probe geschlafen habe." - "Das tun wir doch alle!" - "Aber nicht mit der Frau des Dirigenten!"

A few questions to
Christo Burger

Please tell us who Christo Burger is in just one sentence.
Christo Burger is a man with great passion for singing.

When did you decide to become choir master and what would you have become
if not that?
I decided in 1999 to become a choir master seeing thatbo was in choirs all my life, but I would have loved to become a Physiotherapist or a Jazz performer.

What does music mean for you? Is it your job or is it a vocation?
Music is my job but if you do something with passion you never feel as if you are working.

What can you tell us about your choir(s) in South Africa?
I have 3 choirs: St marys singers (Girls choir, ages 14-18), the Tuks Camerata (university choir of Pretoria University) and Akustika Chamber Singers (young adult chamber choir).

What are your expectations in regard to conducting our youth choir CDJG?
I am looking forward working with passionate people who are willing to learn and make music with me.

Why did you accept the conduction of our choir: what were/are your motivations?
I accepted the invitation to work with your choir seeing that myself and the choir/ people from St Christina
have a close relationship since 2004, and we share the same passion

What is the most important in a choir?
Is it the people who make it up, their motivation, their heart/passion or their will?
Discipline is the most important aspect in a choir and then of course the will of the people who must want to be there and share the passion for music making

You come from South Africa: please tell us three positive and three negative points of this beautiful country.
3positive things: the Wonderful weather, the vibrant and friendly people, the diverse culture of all the different people......3negative things: out government, the killing of Rhino, 11 official languages.

Your name is Christo: is there a precise motive or story behind this majestic first name?
Christo is a common name in South Africa and has less meaning than in italy.

Your favourite choir piece?
My favourite choir piece is called Phantom Waltz by the south african composer Hendrik Hofmeyr.

Thank you for your time.
Robert

Biography of Christo Burger

Christo Burger (*1978) was born in Kempton Park. He was a member of the University of Pretoria Camerata from 1997 – 2003. During his studies at the University of Pretoria he obtained the degrees BMus, BMus Hons (Performing Arts) Cum Laude as well as MMus (Performing Arts). He served under the leadership of the highly acclaimed Prof Petru Gräbe and Prof Johann van der Sandt. Under their leadership Christo became assistant conductor of the University of Pretoria Camerata which was the overall winner of the 1997 Advent and Christmas choral music competition as well as overall winner of the 2001 38th International Choir competition in Spittal an der Drau, Austria. In 2002, he was assistant conductor and soloist for the Camerata guest performance at the World Choral Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

As the conductor of the University of Pretoria Youth Choir from 2001 – 2004, the choir was the runner up with a gold medal at the World Choir Olympics in Bremen.

To keep a well informed international view on music, Christo regularly travels abroad and was chosen for master classes which included master classes at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, USA (choral conducting) under the batons of among other Judith Clurman and Eric Whitacre. He also attended master classes at The Royal College of Music, London, UK (orchestral conducting). He is regularly invited as adjudicator at national and international choral competitions which has included countries such as the Czech Republic, Malaysia and Thailand.

Choirs under his direction have won numerous choral competitions, both on national and international level. Christo's Akustika Chamber Singers was the overall winner in April 2010 of the 11th Concorso Corale International Competition held in Riva del Garda, Italy. The choir was also the overall winner of the Pavarotti trophy and was awarded the title "Choir of the World" at the 62nd Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod, Wales, UK in 2008. Christo is also currently the conductor of the St Mary's DSG St Mary's Singers as well as the Hoërskool Waterkloof School Choir.

Christo is also seen as a composer of works in the "African Avant Garde Choral Music" style, combining story-telling of African music with western compositional technique. His works have been performed at national as well as international choral competitions which include the World Choir Games, Xiamen 2006 and Graz 2008 as well as Llangollen Music Eisteddfod 2009.