10 June 2021
Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The origins of the multi-secular Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia are closely linked to choral singing: in the second half of the 1500’s, several Chapel-masters and Choristers formed an association, thus founding the Accademia.
The Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia appears in both the winter and summer seasons of the Accademia, joining the Orchestra for performances of the great classic and modern symphonic-choral works.
Highlights among its more recent engagements include tours the Santa Cecilia ensembles made together with Music Director Antonio Pappano to the Dresden Semperoper (2006), the London Proms (2007, 2011, 2013), the Salzburger Festpiele (2011, 2013, 2014) and the Enescu Festival (2017); its appearance in Lucerne with the famed Lucerne Festival Orchestra directed by Claudio Abbado (2006); and its participation (October, 2007) in the Sacred Music Festival in Rome, for the performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Daniele Gatti. Among the most recent engagements, mention is to made of the participation, along with the Radio France Orchestra and Chorus, at the Festival de Saint-Denis, conducted by Valery Gergiev (July 2018 – Berlioz, Requiem), and the closing concert of Spoleto’s Festival dei Due Mondi, joined by Marion Cotillard (July 2018 – Honegger, Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher).
The Chorus has also made numerous recordings. Together with the Accademia Orchestra, it took part in the recording of Madama Butterfly by Puccini, Requiem, Quattro pezzi sacri and Aida by Verdi, Stabat Mater by Rossini and by Pergolesi, Guillaume Tell e Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini, War Requiem by Britten, Nessun Dorma – The Puccini Album with Jonas Kaufmann, Symphony no. 3 “Kaddish” di Bernstein and Verdi’s Otello.