The Chair of Choral Conducting at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław has a tradition dating back over 50 years. Previously, it was known as the Chair of Conducting (an interdepartmental unit), the Chair of Vocal and Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble Conducting, and the Chair of Choral Music and Ensemble Conducting. The unit brings together primarily high-class specialists in the field of choral conducting, as well as pianists accompanying conducting and choral conducting classes.

The heads of the Chair were, in succession: Prof. Adam Kopyciński, Prof. Jerzy Zabłocki, Prof. Stanisław Krukowski, Prof. Maria Oraczewska-Skorek, Prof. Zofia Urbanyi-Krasnodębska, Prof. Halina Bobrowicz and Prof. Helena Tomaszek-Plewa. Since October 2020, the head of the unit has been Prof. Jolanta Szybalska-Matczak.

The scientific and artistic activity of the Chair's members allows for research in a wide range of choral music, from issues related to conducting children's choirs, through youth, academic and senior ensembles, instrumental ensembles, to professional choirs. As part of the Chair's scientific activities, events such as the National Conference ‘Working with Children's Choirs’ (led by Dr Małgorzata Podzielny)  and the National Conference ‘Choir Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’ (led by Dr Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny, Prof. AMKL), organised in cooperation with the National Forum of Music. The exchange of professional experiences between choir conductors has resulted in publications devoted to, among other things, methods of working with different types of ensembles: Working with Children's Choirs, Volume I (edited by Małgorzata Podzielny); Shaping the artistic attitude of a young chorister (author Małgorzata Podzielny); Contemporary choral music – values, contexts, perspectives (scientific editor Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny). 

A highly prestigious event is the International Choral Conducting Competition TOWARDS POLYPHONY, which has been organised eight times by the Chair and was first held in 1991. According to its initiator, Prof. Zofia Urbanyi-Krasnodębska, the main idea behind the competition was to create a musical bridge between young choir conductors from Eastern and Western Europe. This idea still guides the organisers today, but it is gratifying to note that this ‘bridge’ has already crossed the borders of Europe, giving young adepts of choral conducting from Brazil, Canada, Israel, the United States and Taiwan, among others, a chance to develop. The first two editions of the Competition were directed by Prof. Zofia Urbanyi-Krasnodębska, the next by Prof. Alan Urbanek, and since the fourth edition, this role has been held by Prof. Marta Kierska-Witczak.

The artistic activities of the Chair include the organisation of regular concerts, such as: Christmas Carol and Carnival Concerts, Lent Concerts, ‘Graduate Stage’ (coordinator – Prof. Bogusława Orzechowska, PhD), and Diploma Concerts, during which teachers, students and graduates of the Faculty of Music Education, Choral Music and Church Music perform on the stage of the AMKL Concert Hall or in churches in Lower Silesia. An important place in artistic activity is occupied by university-wide projects, carried out in cooperation with the Instrumental Chair and the Vocal Chair, as well as the Chair of Music Education and the Chair of Composition, thanks to which students participate in the performance of operas and oratorio cantatas, educational concerts and premiere performances of works by young Wrocław composers. Another important task of the Chair is to coordinate the artistic work of three choirs – the Feichtinum Choir, the Stanisław Krukowski Choir, the Senza Rigore Chamber Choir, as well as two instrumental ensembles – the String Orchestra of the Chair of Music Education, Choral Music and Church Music, and the School Instruments Ensemble. The high level of the ensembles is evidenced by the number of awards won at national and international competitions and invitations to participate in numerous festivals and projects organised by non-university institutions.

In addition to its scientific and artistic activities, the Chair of Choral Conducting supports the education of students pursuing studies related to conducting ensembles. It supports teaching by organising vocal workshops and masterclasses in conducting led by outstanding artists and educators from Poland and abroad. Since 2012, on the initiative of Prof. Helena Tomaszek-Plewa, it has been organising annual faculty competitions for the best method of working with children's vocal or instrumental ensembles, in which students test their skills by conducting rehearsals with, among others, choirs from Wrocław music schools. In addition, it supervises the Senza Rigore Choral Research Club and the Student Artistic and Research Club of Early Vocal Music.

It is worth noting that members of the Choral Conducting Chair are actively involved in a wide range of artistic activities in Poland and abroad, as evidenced by numerous awards, distinctions and recordings (detailed information can be found in the biographical notes on the AMKL website). They also collaborate with various cultural institutions in both the professional and amateur music movements. They act as jurors in national and international choir competitions, experts, consultants, speakers at scientific conferences in Poland and abroad, and lecturers in scholarship programmes such as Erasmus+, CEEPUS and the National Agency for Academic Exchange. In addition, they are members of programme and scientific councils and music associations.