The tradition of the Collegium musicum Bonn as part of the ensembles of the university reaches back to its founding by Prof. Dr. Emil Platen in 1953. The choir as part of the Collegium consists of about 140 active members – among them mainly students but also alumni, lecturers and some externals. Since 2023, Barbara Buncic has been holding the position of conductor. The focus of making music together lies primarily on oratorical works. Usually, these are rehearsed and performed in cooperation with the symphonic orchestra of the Collegium musicum Bonn or the Akademisches Orchester and, if necessary, with the support of professional soloists.

In recent years, programmes included pieces such as Verdi’s and Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle, Bach’s Magnificat, Jenkins’ The Armed Man, Schubert’s Mass No. 6 in E-flat Major and Orff’s Carmina Burana. A special highlight were the concerts of the Misa Tango by Martín Palmeri, who himself accompanied the choir on the piano. Further cooperations consisted of Mendelssohn’s Elias, performed with the Orchester des Collegium musicum in 2024, or Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, which audiences could enjoy in the Kölner Philharmonie in 2025.

Concert trips brought the choir for example to the Prague Choral Summer Meeting with an a-cappella programme. Most recently, the choir was in Paris for a performance which included pieces such as Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. In January of 2027, the choir will be singing Händel’s Messiah.