Dr. Barbara Eßer-Leyding

The World Choir for Peace is open to singers and choirs from around the world to perform in concerts for peace. Their initial concert was in 2018 performing Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man in Berlin and conducted by the composer himself. This marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War with 2,000 singers from more than 30 countries. This concert was televised in several European countries and performed together with the World Orchestra for Peace. The choir was founded by conductor Nicol Matt under the patronage of the German UNESCO Commission in 2018.  Following the outstanding success of the event, the World Choir for Peace has become committed to being a musical ambassador for peace worldwide. The choir has been established internationally, in cooperation with the city of Hannover, UNESCO and the Mayors for Peace organisation. If you are an interested singer or choir then please sign up for this and/or future events.

Dutch – South Korean, award-winning harpist Lavinia Meijer is one of the most diverse harpists of the 21st century. After her debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York in 2007, she is invited regularly to perform as a soloist in Europe, Asia and America. In 2007 she was awarded the Borletti-Buitoni Trust and in 2009 the Dutch Music Prize, the highest distinction by the Dutch Government for a Dutch classical musician. In 2014 she joined the Dutch King and Queen during their State visit to South Korea and performed a solo evening. Meijer is passionate about broadening the possibilities of the harp. Her affinity with the music of Philip Glass and her intense ground breaking renditions of his music have mesmerised audiences across the world. Her albums Metamorphosis/The Hours and The Glass Effect interpret works of Philip Glass, a process Glass himself was involved in. Their meeting marked the beginning of a new musical journey for Lavinia. Her albums are released worldwide (Channel Classics, Sony Classics) and have been rewarded with an Edison Award and a golden and platinum-status. She performed several times at the Tibet House Charity Concert in Carnegie Hall New York, invited by Philip Glass. She is ambassador of Save a Child’s Heart and supports WarChild.

The Core Choir consists of 36 professional singers from 23 different nations. Many of whom performed on the 2020 Sony debut album “Peaceful Choir”, consisting of works from current composers and many newly commissioned songs. They were joined by Sony Classical Artists; Lavinia Meijer, Gereon Theis, Esther Abrami, Maarja Nuut, Tim Allhoff and Josefa Schmidt.  During the International Week for Peace they will be working closely with John Rutter and performing some of his works alongside his Requiem on the 6th August. They will also be performing at the Gala Concert on 7th August with a selection of songs taken from the album and new works featuring Lavinia Meijer.