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Danish National Girls' Choir

choir
Danish National Girls' Choir and Charlotte Rowan © Emilia Therese

DR Pigekoret (Danish National Girls’ Choir) is one of Denmark's strongest musical brands: Fifty young musical talents in the ages 16-22 together create one of the finest girls’ choirs in the world. The choir renew the Danish song tradition with authenticity, ambition, strength and passion through strong and original musical power and modern visual formats. The contemporary approach makes DR Pigekoret an appealing player in many different musical contexts, and the choir gives over fifty concerts a year in Denmark and internationally. The choir is permanently based in DR Koncerthuset (DR Concert Hall) in Copenhagen. The choir is proud to be under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

DR Pigekoret was established by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) in 1938. Ever since the beginning, the choir has mediated and interpreted the Danish songbook every day on radio and television. The choir draws full houses – whether singing a cappella or in concert with the country's, most talented musicians, and artists. The founding DNA of the choir are the Danish songs, but their repertoire also ranges from traditional hymns to pop songs and contemporary classical works, often commissioned by the choir itself.

The founding conductor of the choir was a little unusual. Not many women could be seen conducting in public in the 1930s, but Mrs. Lis Jacobsen did, and she headed the ensemble from 1938 right up to 1961.

As of August 2023, English choral conductor Charlotte Rowan took over the baton as conductor for DR Pigekoret becoming the eighth conductor in the choir’s history. Born and raised in Liverpool, Charlotte grew up singing in the choir of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, where she later became Organ Scholar. During this time, Charlotte also studied as a singer and conductor at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where her passion for conducting blossomed. Charlotte went on to study music at the University of Cambridge, where she continued her training as a Choral Scholar with The Chapel Choir of Sidney Sussex College. Since 2018, Charlotte Rowan has lived in Denmark, where she has furthered her education as a choral conductor at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus and held the position as Director of Music of Herning Boys’ Choir for three years before becoming the conductor of DR Pigekoret. She is delighted to be joining the team at Danish Radio, saying: "DR Pigekoret is both an invaluable communicator of the Danish song tradition and one of the world's leading girls' choirs. But above all, the choir is a beautiful symbol of how powerful a community of talented young people can be.

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