Children’s Chorus of the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

The Children’s Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Academy was established in 2015 to promote and spread musical culture among young generations. Today it consists of 80 singers aged between 8 and 16.

Since its debut under the baton of Zubin Mehta in the same year of its foundation, the Children’s Chorus has regularly participated in the concert and opera productions of the Teatro del Maggio.

Among its first performances, dating back to the 2015/2016 season, were Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s oratorio Elias, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Pëtr Il’ič Čajkovskij’s The Nutcracker, as well as participations in Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel and Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica.

During the 2016/2017 season, the Chorus was engaged in three major concerts featuring Howard Shore’s soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings, performed live alongside the film screenings, as well as La bohème and Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. It also participated in the contemporary opera Il viaggio di Roberto by Paolo Marzocchi, dedicated to the Holocaust, and in Carl Nielsen’s Hymnus Amoris, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Additionally, in June 2017, the Chorus performed at Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome during the presentation of the Annual Report to Parliament by the Authority for Childhood and Adolescence.

In 2018, the Chorus performed in Georges Bizet’s Carmen and Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio Paulus.

In the spring of 2019, it participated in the symphonic cycle dedicated to Gustav Mahler, including the monumental Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”, conducted by Fabio Luisi. In the autumn, the Chorus was involved in Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and the world premiere of Noi 2, 4 by Riccardo Panfili.

In 2020, conducted by Maestro Mehta, the Chorus took part in Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello and Alban Berg’s Drei Bruchstücke aus Wozzeck, alongside soprano Camilla Nylund.

In April 2021, the Chorus participated in a concert form of Tosca, conducted by Zubin Mehta.

In 2022, the Chorus was among the protagonists of the opening concert of the 84th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival, performing Igor Stravinsky’s Perséphone, conducted by Daniele Gatti. The same year, it took part in the world premiere of Al sognatore di cupole by Salvatore Sciarrino at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. It performed also in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Orchestra della Toscana, and, for the Autumn Festival, it participated in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, conducted by Zubin Mehta.

In 2023, the Chorus performed in Georges Bizet’s Carmen and in Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello conducted by Zubin Mehta. It also performed in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and in Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème.

As part of the 86th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival, the Chorus was engaged in Turandot and Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, conducted respectively by Zubin Mehta and Daniele Gatti.

In 2024, the Chorus participated in the Ravenna Festival alongside the Orchestra della Toscana, performing Philip Glass’s Powaqqatsi: Life in Transformation, conducted by Michael Riesman.

During the 87th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival, the Chorus performed in Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and in Hans Werner Henze’s opera Der Junge Lord, conducted respectively by Diego Ceretta and Markus Stenz.

Beyond its engagements at the Teatro del Maggio, the Choir is involved in an intense concert activity.

From February 2015 to December 2022, the Chorus was conducted by Lorenzo Fratini; since January 2023, the role of Chorus Conductor has been entrusted to Sara Matteucci, who had already been the Chorus preparatory conductor since its foundation.

For further informations:

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Academy – ETS
Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1- 50144 Florence (FI) – Italy
Tel. (+39) 055 2779334-327
E-mail: [email protected]