Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam (formerly Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor) is a classical voice training programme specialising in opera, accessible to all children and young people from 4 years old who enjoy singing. Besides singing lessons and music theory training, the students sing together in a choir. The school has nearly 300 students, from beginners to conservatorium level. The children do not need to audition, any child that enjoys singing is welcome. NVA has 18 choirs, with progression based on age and level. Children who have gone through various training choirs and who have plenty of talent and motivation may be invited to sing in the ‘Talentenkoor’ (Talent Choir), one of the best classical children’s choirs in the Netherlands.
NVA was founded in 2005, has since won various international prizes and is regularly featured in the national media. On 30 April 2013, NVA conntributed to the musical programme for the official inauguration of King Willem-Alexander in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.
In addition to well-known and loved children’s choir repertoire such as the St. Matthew Passion, Carmina Burana, Missa Brevis and Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, NVA has performed a large number of operas: Humperdinck's “Hänsel und Gretel”, Britten's “The Golden Vanity” and “The Little Sweep”, Philip Glass' “The Witches of Venice”, and Krasá's famous children’s opera “Brundibár”. NVA students have been conducted by the likes of Mariss Jansons, Ed Spanjaard, Ton Koopman, Matthew Rowe, Ingo Metzmacher and MArc Albrecht; NVA also partners with the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Muziekschool Amsterdam, The Dutch National Opera and the Children’s Matthew Passion.
Since December 2013, NVA has produced a yearly performance of their ever popular Christmas Play in collaboration with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Ton Koopman. Since 2016 NVA works as regular children's choir partner in productions of Dutch National Opera. In the 2017/2018 season, NVA will again take part in two DNO productions: La Bohème and Das Floss der Medusa.
Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam performs in concerts under the names Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor, Nieuw Amsterdams Jongenskoor and Nieuw Amsterdams Jeugdkoor.
