Erster Kölner Barbershop Chor

Male chorus from Cologne - established 1987

The Erster Kölner Barbershop Chor (First Cologne Barbershop Choir, short EKBC) was founded in 1987 as the first German male barbershop chorus by Kurt Gerhardt and was directed by him for ten years. During this time the "Wise Guys" were also members of the chorus for a few years. Under the direction of Leo Freitag and Matthias Neuburger, the choir developed into one of the best of its genre. Since 2023 Andrea Figallo has been the director of the choir.

Three CDs have been recorded during the more than thirty years of its existence. The chorus has performed at many Cologne stages such as the Musikhochschule, Philharmonie, Cologne Opera, Lanxess Arena, the Gürzenich, and quite frequently at the Senftöpfchen. The "Bergische Löwe" in Bergisch Gladbach has often been the venue for joint concerts with friend choruses. 

After regular participation in the German Barbershop Championships, the chorus is now looking forward to its performance in Dortmund in May 2023. In the video you can see one of our pieces performed at the 2018 Championships.

The repertoire of the chorus embraces classic barbershop arrangements, but also German pieces and pop songs. Elaborate performances and the inclusion of comedic elements have grown into EKBC's own style.