The Hartberg Church Music Association was founded in 1966 and has been providing continuous, high-quality cultural work for 50 years now, which is recognized and appreciated far beyond the borders of the city of Hartberg. The association's primary goal is to cultivate valuable sacred and secular choral music. Intensive rehearsals have led to a large number of great performances (also in collaboration with top national and international orchestras), several CD and DVD releases and established the choir's reputation as an outstanding amateur ensemble. The artistic director of the association is Johannes Steinwender (assistant professor of music theory at the University of Music Graz [KUG]; Austria). There are currently 49 singers in the choir. The “Kirchenmusikverein Hartberg” (Sacred-music-society Hartberg) was founded in 1966 and has made an outstanding and highly qualified contribution to the cultural life in Hartberg (a provincial town in the southeast of Austria) and surrounding area for more than 50 years. The main aim of the society is the cultivation of sacred and secular choir music. Intensive training and rehearsals have led to great performances (also in cooperation with national and international top orchestras), a number of CD and DVD releases, and have built up the reputation of the choir as an excellent amateur choir. The conductor and choir director is Johannes Steinwender (assistance professor for music-theory at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz [KUG], Styria, Austria) and the choir of the Kirchenmusikverein Hartberg consists of 49 members at present.