is a prominent representative of the Slovak art of professional choir singing. It entered the music scene in 1946 as the Mixed Choir of Czechoslovak Radio. For the first years, it was led by its founder, conductor Ladislav Slovák. In 1957 the choir was incorporated into the group of Slovak Philharmonic ensembles. Several important personalities (J. M. Dobrodinský, Š. Klimo, P. Procházka, M. Vach, J. Rozehnal, B. Juhaňáková, J. Chabroň) took over the post of choirmasters. From the 2023/2024 season, the Slovak Philharmonic Choir will be led by choirmaster Jan Rozehnal.
The sophistication of expression, the sound balance of vocal groups, as well as interpretive readiness, reliability and exemplary artistic discipline are reflected in sovereign performances, which have been appreciated by many renowned conductors as C. Abbado, S. Baudo, S. Byčkov, J. Conlon, Ch. von Dohnányi, V. Fedosejev, J. Ferencsik, D. Gatti, P. Halffter, R. Chailly, D. Kitajenko, L. Maazel, Z. Mehta, F. Welser-Möst, A. Pedrotti, K. Richter, E. Pekka-Salonen, P. Schreier, V. Talich, E. Villaume and R. Weikert.
The choir has collaborated with prestigious foreign orchestras such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, and the Orchestere de Paris. Its rich discography includes recordings for Slovak and foreign television and radio stations, as well as for renowned recording companies, such as Opus, Supraphon, Deutsche Grammophon, Hungaroton, Sony, Marco Polo, Naxos, Nuova Era, Decca, etc.
The Slovak Philharmonic Choir received the international award Oper! Awards 2023 in the Best Choir category for the collaboration in the opera production Queen of Spades with the Berlin Philharmonic and K. Petrenko at the Easter Festival in Baden-Baden, Germany and concerts at the Berlin Philharmonic (2022).
In the 2024/2025 season, the Slovak Philharmonic Choir will perform Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 8 in Bratislava, Prague, Vienna, and St. Pölten. At the beginning of the season it will present Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder in Vienna (P. Popelka). The Slovak Philharmonic Choir will also perform Berlioz’s dramatic symphony Romeo and Juliet at the Bratislava Music Festival (BHS) and in Hamburg (S. Cambreling), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Dresden (A. Manze), Bruckner’s Te Deum, and Mozart’s Coronation Mass in Vienna (S. Vladar). As part of the Year of Czech Music, the choir will perform Smetana’s opera Libuše in concert at the BHS, Dvořák’s Requiem at the St. Wenceslas Music Festival in Ostrava, and Handel’s Messiah during subscription concerts with the Brno Philharmonic. In April 2025, the choir will appear at the Easter Festival in Salzburg in a new opera production of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina (E.-P. Salonen).