Permanent Choir

The Teatro Colón Permanent Choir was created in 1925. In its first season it was conducted by Achille Consoli and César Stiattesi. The following year, Rafael Terragnolo took over as conductor and continued to lead the Choir for 25 years. Between 1951 and 1967, Tullio Boni was head of the choir and then succeeded in 1968 by Romano Gandolfi. Other important conductors of the Choir were Carlos Berardi, Luis de Mallea, Valdo Sciammarella, Carlos Gandolfi, Andrés Máspero, Jorge Carciofolo, Alberto Balzanelli, Vittorio Sicuri, Salvatore Caputo, Peter Burian and Miguel Fabián Martínez, its current Choir Master. In addition to its important work in the lyric seasons of the Teatro Colón, the Choir also participates in symphonic and vocal concerts. Among other works, it performed Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B minor, Ludwig van Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem, Johannes Brahms' German Requiem, Hector Berlioz's Requiem, Zoltan Kodály's Hungarian Psalmus, Igor Stravinski's Symphony of Psalms, Arnold Schönberg's Gurrelieder and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. In 1941, it performed Verdi's Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Arturo Toscanini, in one of the milestones of its rich history, which also includes being conducted by Daniel Barenboim. The number of choir members has varied over the years, and currently gathers more than 100 choristers. In order to be in its permanent staff, singers must pass vocal and artistic excellence tests. In addition to high vocal level, they must also have acting skills, since stage directors nowadays have high demands from the visual and theatrical side of its performances.