The Madrigalchor Kiel was founded by its artistic director Professor Friederike Woebcken in 1990. Its 34 members come from the Kiel area, North Germany. The choir has made a name for itself as a top ensemble in a-cappella choral music not only in Northern Germany but also further afield. Main emphasis lies on a wide-ranging a-cappella repertoire from all stylistic periods. Areas of special interest are choral music of the Nordic countries and the modern era.

The CD recordings of the choir reflect its very broad repertoire:

• "Nordeuropäische Chormusik des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts"
  — Northern European Choral Music of the 19th und 20th century
• "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen - Weihnachtliche Chormusik aus aller Welt"
  — Christmas choral music from around the world
• "O schöne Nacht - Chorlieder von Sehnsucht und Hoffnung"
  — Oh lovely night - choral songs of longing and hope

The choir is also regularly engaged in oratorio projects such as J.S. Bach: St. John's Passion, St. Matthew Passion, Mass in D minor; G. F. Haendel: Dixit Dominus, Messiah; Jan Dismas Zelenka: Litaniae Lauretanae "Salus infirmorum"; W.A. Mozart: Great Mass in C-minor; L. Beethoven: Mass in C-major; J. Brahms: A German Requiem; M. Ravel: Daphnis and Cloe; G. Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle; S.E. Larsson: Förklädd Gud; Arvo Pärt, Berlin Mass.

The Madrigalchor Kiel won first prize at the 4th German Choral Competition in Fulda in 1994. Since then, the choir has accepted invitations to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Island, Netherlands, England, France, USA, Japan and South Africa.

The Madrigalchor Kiel is proud to call Eric Ericson a special artistic friend and to host him as guestconductor. In 2006 and in 2007, the Swedish maestro worked with the choir on Scandinavian romantic and contemporary music.

Friederike Woebcken studied music education and English in Freiburg and Glasgow and completed an advance course in choir direction held by Eric Ericson in Stockholm. As a lecturer at the department of music at the University of Kiel, she helped establish a number of choirs. She is conductor of the Madrigalchor Kiel since 1990 and tours regularly with the ensemble in Germany and abroad.

From 1996 to 2000, she and Eric Ericson held master classes for choral conducting in Rendsburg. In 2006 and in 2007, she invited him to meet the Madrigalchor Kiel to work on Scandinavian repertoire.

She was named professor for choir direction at the University of the Arts Bremen in 1998, where she also conducts the University Student Choir and the Chamber Choir, both of which she founded. Friederike Woebcken has international contacts to the Scandinavian and Baltic countries through concerts, seminars, symposiums and exchange programs with foreign choirs.

In 2002, she was presented with the cultural award of the city of Kiel.