Roderich Kreile
Roderich Kreile is a German Lutheran church musician, choir director and university teacher. He had been the director of the Dresdner Kreuzchor at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, as the 28th Kreuzkantor since the Reformation from 1997 until his retirement in 2022.
Life and work
Born 1956, Kreile studied church music and choral conducting in Munich. In 1981, he became a cantor at the Christ Church in Munich. From 1989 to 1996, he taught choral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. He was appointed Kirchenmusikdirektor in 1990. In 1994, he also prepared the choir Philharmonischer Chor München for concerts with the Münchner Philharmoniker. In 2010, he became a member of the Sächsische Akademie der Künste. He has been the vice chairman of the Neue Bachgesellschaft and an advisory board member of the International Heinrich Schütz Society.Since 1997, Kreile has been the 28th Kreuzkantor since the Reformation. Leading the Dresdner Kreuzchor with its history of more than 700 years is regarded as one of the most prestigious positions the Protestant church in Germany has to offer. He has a contract until 2022. With him, the Dresdner Kreuzchor has appeared extensively at home and abroad. Tours have taken the choir through Germany, other European countries, to the United States, South America, South Korea and Japan. It is one of few boys' choirs serving as ambassadors of Saxony abroad. He has conducted premieres of choral music. On 2 July 2022, he retired after 25 years in office and was succeeded by Martin Lehmann, who led the Windsbacher Knabenchor since 2012.