CONDUCTOR

Bernhard Hofmann is the conductor of MiCAPELLA since the summer semester 2025.

He studied school music at the Munich University of Music (state examination 1983/1985) and studied music education, musicology, and educational science at LMU Munich (doctorate 1994) while working. After many years as a music teacher at secondary schools, he moved into teacher training, first as a study advisor at LMU (1994), then as a professor of music education at the University of Regensburg (1996). He turned down two offers from universities in Germany and abroad (2001 and 2002), but accepted an offer from the University of Augsburg in 2011. There he held the chair of music education until his retirement in 2024.

He received his training as a choir director from Max Frey (Munich University of Music) and in master classes with Helmuth Rilling (Stuttgart). He sang in various choirs, including the Madrigal Choir of the University of Music, the via nova Choir, the BR Extra Choir (all in Munich), and the Gächinger Kantorei (Stuttgart). As a founding member he sang until 1990 in the vocal ensemble “Die Singphoniker”, which won the first prize at the international choir competition in Gorizia in 1988. He conducted choirs in Munich (including the AGV Choir), project ensembles at the Universities of Regensburg and Augsburg.In 2021/22 he was co-responsible as a coach at the “Coral Mesopotamia” project in Erbil, Iraq. In 2023 and 2024, he served as musical director and arranger for Christmas concerts with Claudia Koreck, Hannes Ringlstetter, and Hans Sigl (Olympiahalle Munich). He has written music for film and television (including the TV series “Zeit genug” by F. X. Bogner) and arrangements for artists and ensembles such as Claudia Koreck, Chris Boettcher, the BR Radio Orchestra, Voices in Time, Singer Pur, Stimmgold, and Singphoniker. Many of his arrangements for choir have been published on recordings and in print.

Choir Founder and Previous Conductor

Eva Gönner founded MiCapella in October 2012 while studying music education at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. She led the choir for 24 semesters.

She saw her role at MiCapella primarily as familiarizing young singers with choral music from all eras and awakening their joy in rehearsing and performing it. It was equally important to her to foster friendships through choir singing that would extend across the globe.

Eva Gönner is a high school and college teacher for Music and French. She taught at high schools/colleges in Erding and Munich, in 2024 she moved to the Kreisgymnasium Riedlingen (Baden-Württemberg).