Winfried Toll

After graduating from the Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck, Winfried Toll studied theol‐
ogy and philosophy in Münster and Freiburg (Breisgau) before he went on to study composi‐
tion and music education with Klaus Huber and Brian Ferneyhough at the Freiburg Conserva‐
tory of Music. Following his examinations he studied voice with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and
Aldo Baldin as well as conducting with Hellmuth Rilling. At this time he taught music and
voice at the Freiburg Conservatory of Music and began an active career as a concert and op‐
era singer.

In 1988 Winfried Toll became the conductor of the Camerata Vocale Freiburg and from 1994
until 2002 he was the choral director of the Kölner Bachverein. In the Fall of 1997 Toll was
called as Professor of choral conducting to the Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts in
Frankfurt/Main. He was also elected as artistic director of the Frankfurter Kantorei.
Since 2007 Winfried Toll ist the principal artistic director of the Daejeon Philharmonic Choir
in South Korea. He received numerous invitations from outstanding orchestras and ensem‐
bles as guest conductor. (Concerto Köln, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Gürzenich Orches‐
tra Köln, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Balthasar‐ Neumann‐ Choir, SWR Vokalensemble
Stuttgart, RIAS Kammerchor). Since 1994 he has been a regular guest professor at the Musa‐
shino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, as well as in South Korea, in the Czech Republic and in
South Africa.

While still at university, Winfried Toll wrote his first successful compositions: the Organ
work „Wegkreuze“ received the prestigious „Altenburger Dom“ prize. In 1981 a prize for his
„Psalm 13“ for choir, solos and orchestra followed. In 1985 Winfried Toll received an award
from the international Bachakademie in Stuttgart for his composition „Wenn Ich Dein je ver‐
gesse“ for 16 solo voices and mixed choir. His composition „… und hat über uns Gewalt“ was
premiered by the Camerata Vocale Freiburg in November 1996 as part of the 71st Bachfest
of the Neue Bachgesellschaft in Freiburg. In Juli 2001 Winfried Toll was commissioned by the
festival „Stimmen“ in Lörrach to compose a work for the Raschèr‐Saxophon‐Quartett and
vocalensemble. This work „Reverie“ was sung in a world premiere by the Camerata Vocale
Freiburg.