Success story: Volker Hagemann appointed Professor of Choral Conducting

It is with great pleasure that the University of Music Würzburg congratulates its alumnus Volker Hagemann on his appointment as Professor of Choral Conducting at the Rottenburg-Stuttgart University of Church Music.

Volker Hagemann (*1988) was a student at the University of Music Würzburg from 2008 to 2017. He completed his studies to become a secondary school teacher with the subjects of school music and Catholic theology as well as a master's degree in conducting/choral conducting with Prof. Jörg Straube. He crowned his degree in January 2017 with a highly acclaimed performance of Carl Rütti's Requiem. He also received important artistic impulses in masterclasses with Morten Schuldt-Jensen, Florian Benfer and Ragnar Rasmussen.

Hagemann has been conductor at the Choir Academy at the Konzerthaus Dortmund since January 2020, where he leads four ensembles with over 100 singers. Particularly noteworthy is his participation in the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen 2024, where he opened the interdisciplinary project THE PULSE with the newly founded Frauenkonzertchor - broadcast live on ARTE Concert.

Since the summer semester of 2023, he has also been the director of the Münster University Choir and the chamber ensemble Ensemble 22 as part of the Collegium Musicum Vocale at the University of Münster. His repertoire ranges from Bach to Bernstein and regularly includes large-scale choral symphonic works.

Engagements with renowned orchestras such as the Bochumer Symphoniker or the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie as well as performances at renowned festivals such as the Stunde der Kirchenmusik Stuttgart or the Weingartner Musiktage underline his artistic versatility.

A project close to his heart is the vocal ensemble Crescendo, which he co-founded and has directed since 2007. With innovative programs such as Fides - Spes - Caritas or the planned world premiere of Carl Rütti's Mysterium Montis (September 2025), he is also making a lasting impact on the vocal music scene.

In addition to his artistic activities, Hagemann is intensively involved in choir conductor training and is artistic director of the German Girls' Choir Festival #SidebySide.

He has received several awards for his work at the Bavarian Choir Competition - including for outstanding interpretations of contemporary choral music.

The official announcement of the HfK Rottenburg-Stuttgart can be found here: https: //www.kirchenmusik-hochschule.org/hagemann-wird-professor-fuer-chorleitung/

We would like to congratulate Prof. Hagemann on this appointment and wish him all the best and continued success in his new role in Rottenburg-Stuttgart!