About us
Learn more about the ensemble an its musical director
The Ensemble – Choir and Orchestra
The ensemble amici musicae, choir and orchestra, Leipzig has been an important part of Leipzig's musical life since 1994. It consists of musicians of different age groups who make music professionally alongside their studies, training and work.
The combination of mixed choir and string orchestra provides an ideal basis for a broad musical repertoire that includes almost all eras of music history. The ensemble focuses on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, which is reflected in cantata, passion and oratorio performances, but also in the performance of motets in St. Thomas Church Leipzig and regular participation in the Bachfest Leipzig. In cooperation with the Jugendsinfonierorchester Leipzig (Youth Symphony Orchestra), the ensemble performs symphonic works, such as Mendelssohn's "Elijah" and "Paulus", the Requiems by Brahms and Verdi, Britten's "War Requiem" and Elgar's "The Dream of Gerontius" and "The Apostles".
In addition to these traditional formats, every summer the "amici musicae" invite you to the "Wachau Festival Nights" in the Wachau church ruins, but also to "Klangfabriken" ("sound factories") in which repertoire from different eras and instrumentations can be heard and where different musical styles are brought to life through the interplay of music, light, space and dance.
Various concert tours have lead the ensemble to the Azores, Italy, Japan and the USA.
The musical director – Ron-Dirk Entleutner
Deeply rooted in the musical tradition of his hometown, the former member of St. Thomas Boys Choir Ron-Dirk Entleutner is one of Leipzig's most interesting conducting personalities. During his studies at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Academy of Music and Theater in Leipzig, he founded the ensemble amici musicae, Choir and Orchestra, Leipzig.
His musical work focuses on two main areas: the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and rarely performed choral symphonies. Since 2000, he has successfully conducted the Jugendsinfonierorchester Leipzig (Youth Symphony Orchestra), which has won several national prizes.
Ron-Dirk Entleutner pays particular attention to training and promoting of young musicians. In 2007, he was appointed University Music Director in Koblenz and took over the direction of the Landesjugendchor Sachsen (State Youth Choir of Saxony) in summer 2015.