Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

The Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino was founded in 1933, the first year of the festival that gives the ensemble its name, under the guidance of Andrea Morosini. It quickly developed into one of Italy’s most prestigious choirs, appearing both in the opera house and the concert hall. Among its many eminent chorus masters have been Adolfo Fanfani, Roberto Gabbiani, Vittorio Sicuri, Marco Balderi, José Luis Basso and Piero Monti. Since 2013 the position has been held by Lorenzo Fratini.

The Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has also been acclaimed in the field of vocal chamber music as well as in contemporary works, including the world premieres of pieces by leading 20th-century composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Luigi Dallapiccola, Goffredo Petrassi, Luigi Nono and Sylvano Bussotti. Its work also bears the imprint of its association with great conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bruno Bartoletti, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Georges Prêtre, Myung-Whun Chung, Seiji Ozawa, Semyon Bychkov, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Lorin Maazel, Fabio Luisi and Daniele Gatti.

In recent years the Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has expanded its repertoire to include major symphonic choral works from the Classical and modern periods and has also undertaken numerous tours, often with the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

The ability to perform works written in different styles and dating from different periods and to perform them, moreover, in their original language has ensured that the Chorus is held in high international regard by critics and conductors alike, leading to invitations to appear at important artistic and public events.

The album Bel Canto that René Fleming made with the Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, received a Grammy Award in 2003. In 2013 the Chorus marked the 80th anniversary of its formation with a series of concerts under Lorenzo Fratini.