Octavians

Based in Jena, the Octavians are among the most-in-demand vocal ensembles in Thuringia and impress with their versatility, charisma, and vocal balance in large as well as small-scale concerts. They master works by young talents as well as by established composers from over 800 years of music history. Their repertoire includes madrigals no less than Romantic music or humoristic songs. The group was founded in 2006 by eight former and current members of the Jenaer Philharmonie boys choir. Many regional and international performances followed, for example in England, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and France. Among the ensemble's national highlights were concerts for the Jenaer Philharmonie, the Thüringer Musikrat, or the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. The Octavians were awarded first prize at the “Jugend musiziert” competition in May 2010. They came out on top of a national selection of a-cappella groups and convinced the jury “with a perfect blend of joy in singing and quality.” Following on from this success, the singers began, in autumn 2010, with the recordings for their first CD production “Auftakt” with the Altenburg-based classic label Querstand. Together with the Leipzig sound engineer Martin Linde, who worked together with the ensemble also for the present CD, the disc captured a broad selection from the ensemble’s repertoire. In 2011, the Octavians were presented with a silver diploma at the international a-cappella festival “Vokal Total” at Graz, being beaten by their professional, international competitors by only a fraction. More information about the ensemble, the individual singers, and most importantly about upcoming performances and concerts can be found on their homepage: www.octavians.net