Orphei Drängar

Sångsällskapet Orphei Drängar (OD) is a Swedish male voice choir and singing society based in Uppsala, Sweden.

While best known for its high quality performances of the classical repertoire, OD sings music of all genres in many different languages and since the start in 1853 has been widely acknowledged for its ambition to continuously push the envelope of what a male-voice choir can and should do.

Orphei Drängar was founded on October 30, 1853, while the city of Uppsala was isolated in an attempt to stop the spread of the cholera epidemic that was then tormenting Sweden.

In an attempt to remedy this, first tenor Jonas Widén gathered twelve students (ten singers, a pianist and a spectator) and the conductor Oscar Arpi in a local Banquet Hall, where they passed the time singing together.

During the latter half of the 19th century, the choir went on tours abroad to Paris (1867, 1878, 1900), Berlin (1898) and has over the years been performing to audiences in many different parts of the world.