(Credit: Sony / Gregor Hohenberg)

Famed baritone Christian Gerhaher will lead a group of prominent singers and artists that will take a legal action against closures of theaters, concert halls and opera houses in Bavaria, Germany.

This closure is the result of a decision by the authorities of Bavaria led by CSU President Markus Söder to close theaters until the end of January; it’s an adjustment of the German government’s own lockdown extension throughout the country until Jan. 10, 2021.

Among the names that have joined the initiative are tenors Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke and Kevin Conners, as well as the conductor and organist Hansjörg Albrecht, the director of the Munich Bach Choir.

Following the press conference on Dec. 7 2020, the group will file a legal application to the Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich. The group will be represented in court by a lawyer from the Berlin law firm Raue, which specializes in art and culture legal matters.

Per the BR Klassik website, this group will be further supported by other singers, instrumental soloists and musicians from renowned orchestras.