Ensemble Odecathon
The ensemble Odhecaton derives its name from Harmonice Musices Odhecaton, the first printed book of polyphonic music (Venice, O. Petrucci 1501). Its repertoire of choice is represented by European musical production between the 15th and 18th centuries. Odhecaton brings together some of the finest Italian male voices specialising in the performance of Renaissance and pre-classical music under the direction of Paolo Da Col. The ensemble has recorded some fifteen CDs, which have earned it major recording awards: Grand Prix International de l’Académie du Disque Lyrique, 7 Diapason d’Or and 2 Diapason d’Or de l’Année (Diapason), Choc (Classica), Disco del Mese (Amadeus and CD Classics), CD of the Year (Goldberg), Editor’s Choice (Gramophone). In recent years, Odhecaton has extended its interpretative commitment to the contemporary repertoire. For the Monteverdi celebrations in 2017, Odhecaton participated in the performance of the ARTE television documentary film “Monteverdi, aux sources de l’Opéra” and made a new recording dedicated to the sacred works of the Cremonese composer’s mature period. For the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the death of Josquin Desprez, Odhecaton performed the music for Marco Zarrelli’s documentary film Josquin Desprez. The master of notes. Their last two CDs, dedicated to Josquin and Paolo Aretino (Arcana Outhere), both won the Diapason d’or award. Odhecaton was awarded the Abbiati Prize by Italian music critics in 2018 and the ADUIM Prize (Association of Italian University Music Teachers) in 2025. Paolo Da Col studied music at the Conservatory of Bologna and musicology at the University of Venice and at the Centre d’Études Supérieures de la Renaissance in Tours. From a very young age, he focused his interests on the repertoire of Renaissance and pre-classical music, constantly combining research and performance. He is the librarian of the Venice Conservatory, has conducted with Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini and directs the magazine “L’Organo”, has worked as a music critic, directed the music catalogue of the publisher Arnaldo Forni in Bologna, is editor of instrumental and vocal music editions, author of catalogues of musical collections and essays on the history of vocality. He contributes to the national edition of the works of Gesualdo da Venosa and Giuseppe Tartini.
CRER
AERCO, Associazione Emiliano-Romagnola Cori APS (Emilia-Romagna Choir Association) launched a call for applications in 2022 to form the Emilia-Romagna Regional Choir. The aim of the choir was to form a high-quality musical group to perform an important repertoire, led by talented trainers and conductors. The first concert took place in Bologna in December of that year, featuring Handel’s Utrecht Jubilate. On that occasion, the choir was accompanied by the Este Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Giulio Prandi. The artistic direction of the project for 2022 and 2023 has been entrusted to Prof. Ilaria Poldi, who is also responsible for the choir’s preparation. The group is composed of about 50 members divided into four sections: sopranos, contraltos, tenorsand basses, coming from various choirs associated with AERCO. They are musicians, singers and choir directors working in Emilia-Romagna, who have made themselves available to build this new AERCO project in order to realise important musical projects. From 2024, the direction will be entrusted to Maestro Marco Cavazza.
Coro Musicanova
The Musicanova Choir was founded in 1990 under the direction of Maestro Fabrizio Barchi. From the very beginning, it has stood out for its wide-ranging repertoire, combining Renaissance and contemporary music with genres spanning from medieval to pop, always with a focus on artistic quality and expressive depth. A key aspect of the choir’s identity is its commitment to promoting choral music among young people. Many of its singers come from Roman schools with which the choir actively collaborates. Musicanova is part of the broader Musicanova Association, alongside other ensembles such as the Eos women’s choir, the Iride youth choir, and two high school choirs from Rome. Together, they share the mission of nurturing choral singing as an educational and cultural experience. Over the years, the choir has carried out an intense concert activity both in Italy and abroad, performing in countries such as Denmark, Finland, Greece, Sweden, Spain, Hungary, and Poland. It has received numerous prestigious awards at international competitions, including 1st Prize at the Miltenberg Competition (2008), the Grand Prize at the Vittorio Veneto Competition (2011), multiple awards at the Seghizzi International Competition in Gorizia (2014), 2nd Prize at the Varna International Competition (2016), and the Grand Prix at the Florilège Vocal de Tours (2017), which qualified the choir to represent Italy at the 2018 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Maribor. Musicanova has participated in major festivals such as “Anima Mundi” in Pisa, “Voci d’Europa” in Sardinia, the International Competition of Verona, and the 2015 Milan EXPO, where it presented the original performance Roma che in… canta, a creative blend of choral music and theatre. The choir has also performed alongside world-renowned artists such as José Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, and Carly Paoli in events broadcast live by RAI and organized by UNICEF and the “Music for Mercy” project. The choir’s discography reflects its eclectic style and includes several recordings of early polyphony, Renaissance masses, and contemporary works. It has also collaborated on music productions with artists like Ennio Morricone, Marco Frisina, Andrea Guerra, Mina, Angelo Branduardi, and Andrea Bocelli. In 2019, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Musicanova Association, the choir organized a themed concert series, culminating in the performance of Steve Dobrogosz’s Mass, conducted with the composer himself at the piano. The Musicanova Choir continues to evolve through musical research, artistic collaborations, and educational projects, with the goal of promoting and sharing choral music in all its forms.
Giovani Voci di Bassano
The Choir Giovani Voci Bassano was founded in 1990 with a twofold purpose: to animate the liturgy in the parish of S. Vito and to develop and promote choral education among young people. It currently consists of children and young people aged between about 8 and 20 years old, and its repertoire includes sacred, secular and folk-inspired polyphonic pieces. In November 2005, it released its first CD ‘Gloria, Alleluja!’. He has numerous concerts to his credit. In the summer of 2019, it toured extensively in St Petersburg (Russia) and Finland, where it received enthusiastic praise. The ensemble travelled to the Czech Republic, to the ‘eternal city’ in October 2005, and in the spring of 2009 and 2015 they carried out a cultural exchange with the Augustana Chor in Germany in the city of Augsburg, gaining plaudits and acclaim. In September 2016, he performed a long singing tour in Campania (Salerno, Naples, Pompeii, Paestum, Amalfi Coast) and in Rome with the project ‘Around the World’, gaining considerable success. At the 2017 National Choral Competition “Il Garda in coro” he won 3rd place in the Youth category and the special prize for the best choreography and stage movements. In May 2018 he wins the First Prize in the category of popular inspired songs at the 52nd National Choral Competition of Vittorio Veneto and the Special Prize “Best Veneto Choir” present at the Competition. In October 2021 it achieved a brilliant second place at the 12th National Polyphonic Choral Competition of Lake Maggiore with a score of 92.80, the second highest in the entire competition, and in May 2022 it won 2nd place at the 55th National Choral Competition of Vittorio Veneto. It has also collaborated as a children’s choir with “Opera Estate Festival Veneto” in the staging of several operas in which the inclusion of this choral formation is envisaged and has participated in the staging of two operas in their national premieres by Maestro Pierangelo Valtinoni: Regina delle Nevi (2011 – 2019) and Il Mago di Oz (2017). Since October 2004 it has been organising, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, CANTICORO – Choral Music in Bassano, an event that annually hosts a number of choral ensembles operating in the area, alongside important international guests. It also collaborates, from an organisational point of view and for over 10 years, in the organisation of the National Choral Meeting for children’s voices and youth choirs promoted in Bassano by ASAC Veneto. For its qualified and appreciated educational, social, artistic and cultural activities, it received the prestigious S. Bassiano Prize 2019. Since its foundation, the group has been directed by Cinzia Zanon.
Schola Gregoriana Ecce
Recently formed, the Schola Gregoriana Ecce consists of both male and female groups and is dedicated to the study of Gregorian Chant in line with the semiological revisionundertaken by E. Cardine onwards. Meetings are usually monthly, on Sundays, in a city in Emilia-Romagna. Since 2021, it has participated in the Interreligious Choir Festival Spiritus in Bologna, the Open Rehearsals season promoted by the Musical Chapel of Modena Cathedral, the Ferrara Organ Festival for a recital together with Maestro Wladimir Matesic, the Festival Voci nei Chiostri, the Ferrara Conservatory celebrations for the Frescobaldian anniversary and is a workshop choir for the courses of the AERCO Gregorian Chant School. You can register to book an audition at the link https://www.aerco.academy/la-schola-gregoriana-ecce/
Director in charge is Maestro Luca Buzzavi.
Coro Enjoy
The Enjoy Choir is a female choir based in Cesano Maderno, which was founded and is supported by various high school choirs in the area, giving it a youthful profile. This vocation is combined with the amateur nature of the project, which involves only singers with no professional musical training, who develop their vocal and interpretative skills through the work they do together, rehearsal after rehearsal. The repertoire focuses on sacred polyphony and a cappella vocal pop: two genres that are very different in both style and vocal technique, requiring eclectic and diverse musical work. Highly appreciated by audiences and critics alike, the choir has participated in numerous competitions, including: Third Prize at the 54th National Choral Competition Trofei Città di Vittorio Veneto in the Jazz, Gospel, Pop category in 2019, First Prize in the Gold Category in 2023 and Second Prize in the Gold Category in 2025 at the Gaffurio National Choral Competition in Quartiano in the Sacred A Cappella Polyphonic Music category, First Prize in the Voci Pari category at the 14th National Choral Competition of Lake Maggiore in the Sacred A Cappella Polyphonic Music category in 2023, First Prize in the Vocal Pop-Jazz, Gospel and Spiritual category, with a score of 98/100, at the 57th Trofei Città di Vittorio Veneto National Choral Competition in 2024, where it also won the 29th Efrem Casagrande Grand Prize, First Prize in the Gold Category in both the Sacred Polyphonic Music category and the Spiritual category, Gospel, Pop, at the 4th Savani National Choral Competition in Carpi in 2025, where it also won the prize for the best performance of a piece by Palestrina and the Grand Prize. The choir recently made its first recording, entitled Resonating Light, featuring some of the most significant vocal pop arrangements performed in almost ten years of activity. The artistic and musical direction is entrusted to Raffaele Cifani, who, in addition to being the founder of the choir, also takes care of all the vocal pop arrangements. Choir director, pianist, teacher, trainer and vocal pop arranger, he has extensive experience in youth and school choirs, gained in over 20 years of work in the field with choirs of various backgrounds, which has allowed him to develop particularly effective training techniques and methods and to gain a deep knowledge of the voice in all genres and repertoires.
