The history of the UniChor began in the summer semester of 1990 in one of the corridors of the music wing, when it did not yet have a permanent rehearsal room. The intrepid group of around 20 singers sat on discarded sofas and on chairs that had to be fetched from the adjoining seminar rooms.

During this inaugural semester, the aim was to see whether enough students would (more or less) reliably – and (not always) enthusiastically – see the choir through the initial rehearsal phase to a small performance. The experiment was a success: at one of the so-called KMS recitals, the choir presented a number of lighter a cappella works from various eras.

This marked the start of a gradual build-up. Initially, the Alte Aula was established as the permanent rehearsal space. The idea of the FORUM as a performance and concert concept slowly took shape. The first key focus emerged: the promotion of student and local composers and musicians, for whom the FORUM was to be available for performances.

The UniChor’s working rhythm (rehearsal phases spanning two semesters, etc.) and its admission policy (no auditions, open initial phases, etc.) were finalised in the mid-1990s.

By then, the proportion of contemporary music in the repertoire and the number of regular world premieres had been steadily increasing. In 1996, the UniChor established its own composition competition for the ‘UniChor’s Carl von Ossietzky Prize’, which was subsequently held every two to three years.

Further systematic expansion of the UniChor’s work was thwarted by administrative and financial difficulties, with the result that the composition competition was handed over to Prof. Violeta Dinescu and the choir’s activities became increasingly limited to the preparation and staging of the now traditional Forum concerts.

Since the winter semester 21/22, the UniChor has been under the direction of Silja Stegemeier.