Exceptional concert in Amsterdam
Sunday, October 23, 3 p.m. :
Dominicus Kerk
Spuistraat 12, 1012 TS Amsterdam, Netherlands
Free Entrance
Discover the detailed program of the concert: click here
The Choir of Pontverre
Founded in 1982 by Jean-François Gerdil, the Chœur de Pontverre is currently made up of around seventy singers. Since 1991, it has been expertly directed by Marie-Isabelle Pernoud.
He performs in concert mainly works from the great vocal repertoire, such as the Magnificat, the Passion according to St John, the Mass in B minor and the Christmas Oratorio by J.S. Bach, the Gloria and the Magnificat by Vivaldi, the High Mass in C minor and Mozart’s Requiem, Dido and Aeneas and Purcell’s Funeral of Queen Mary, Mendelssohn’s Walpurgisnacht, as well as works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Joseph and Michael Haydn, Schubert, Rheinberger, Puccini, Gounod and Rossini .
The Chœur de Pontverre has also included in its repertoire works by 20th century composers such as Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, works by Fauré including the Requiem, the 7 words of Christ by César Franck, the Gloria by Poulenc as well as works by Duruflé and the Missa Criola by Ariel Ramirez, the Misatango by Palmeri, created in 1996, and the Mass of the Children by John Rutter, composed at the beginning of the 21st century.
The Chœur de Pontverre collaborates with various professional instrumental ensembles including the baroque ensemble Fratres as well as the Geneva Chamber Orchestra. It also strives, according to its budgets, to hire quality and recognized professional singers and soloists. He has also collaborated on several occasions with Geneva college choirs, giving many young people interested in singing the opportunity to perform prestigious works in high places of classical music.
The choir has performed at Victoria Hall and Saint-Pierre Cathedral, in the temples of Madeleine and Saint-Gervais, as well as within the framework of the Musicales de Compesières. On several occasions, he sang at the Fêtes de la Musique, allowing a large audience to discover lyrical and sacred singing.
10 years ago, the Chœur de Pontverre traveled to Rome, and for its 30th anniversary to Prague, to give various concerts.
For several years, Pontverre has been one of the choirs recognized for their qualities and appreciated by Geneva music lovers. His concerts take place in front of a large audience.
Since autumn 2017, the Pontverre choir has been part of the Geneva Association of Oratorio Choirs (AGECO). This association aims to create solidarity between its members, defenders of a quality “classical amateur choral art”, and to represent the oratorio choirs to the political authorities and musical institutions of Geneva.
Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam
Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam is an ambitious and versatile concert choir made up of more than 80 advanced amateur singers. We alternate great choral works with intimate programs, and old compositions with contemporary works.
Choir Master: Boudewijn Jansen
Pianist: Arjen Berends
Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam was founded in 1829. We sing the Matthäus Passion every year on Good Friday at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, a tradition started by Willem Mengelberg in 1899. Since 2008 it has also been a tradition to sing the Matthew Passion every year on Palm Sunday at De Philharmonie in Haarlem. In addition, we present at least one of our own productions per season.
Composers:
Several composers have performed their own works with us, including Gustav Mahler, Johannes Brahms, Edvard Grieg and Alphons Diepenbrock.
Event projects:
Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam regularly receives invitations from professionals to participate in concerts or to sing at special events.
Mozart’s Requiem in “Dutch Masters” by the National Ballet with the Orchester de l’Est, September 2016.
Visioni ed Estasi by Wim Henderickx (Dutch premiere) with Nederlands Kamerkoor and Toonkunstkoor Rotterdam, Tenso choir days, November 2016.
Daphnis and Chloé by Ravel, cinema symphonique, with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, May 2018.
Excerpts from Mozart in the theatrical performance “Amadeus”, National Theatre, June 2019.
Excerpts from Mozart in “Amadeus Live”, live music from the film Amadeus, with the Residentie Orkest, October 2019.
Annual open-air concerts in Almere (Havenfestival early September), Bloemendaal, Rotterdam, with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, August/September.
Toonkunstkoor also organizes its own special projects, such as the 2014 Latin Night at Paradiso which included Ramírez’s Misa Criolla and the 2015 benefit concert of Verdi’s Requiem for Musicians Without Borders in the Salle du Carré.
