Calicantus Choir
Choir presentation
The Calicantus Choir is the concert ensemble of the singing school of the same name, founded in 1993 by Maestro Mario Fontana. The school trains 150 students aged 4 to 18 in singing and performance practices from all eras. Calicantus has become an educational and artistic model on an international scale.
The repertoire spans from the Renaissance to the present day, with a focus on music from Eastern and Northern Europe and international folklore.
Calicantus is regularly called upon to give premiere performances and collaborates with internationally renowned artists, Swiss composer Ivo Antognini, Swiss Radio, and the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana.
Calicantus represented Switzerland at the “World of Children’s Choirs” Festival in Canada in 2001 and has undertaken more than 150 tours throughout Europe.
THE CHOIR DIRECTOR: Mario Fontana
Mario Fontana was born in Locarno in 1963 and devoted himself to music as a self-taught musician from childhood. He later studied classical guitar and piano.
Having graduated in music pedagogy in 1992 from the Conservatory of Italian Switzerland, he then studied choral conducting in the Czech Republic with masters Alois and Tomas Motyl, Milan Uherek, and Dr. Olga Dutkova, and subsequently with Eric Ericson, Pablo Colino, Pamela Cook, Zimfira Poloz, and at the Roy Hart Theatre in London.
In 1993, he founded the Calicantus choir, which soon became an artistic and educational reference worldwide. He has won several awards at prestigious international competitions. In 2008, he was invited to the World Symposium on Choral Music in Copenhagen, where Calicantus was acclaimed as “the biggest joy in Copenhagen.”
Over 30 years, he has developed a music pedagogy that has become an international educational model. He has won several awards, including the Lamprecht-Steiger Choir Prize and the award for best choir conductor at the 2015 Rimini International Competition.
He is regularly invited as a speaker by Swiss and European institutions to present seminars on children’s singing methodology and to participate as a jury member in Swiss and international choral competitions.
Calicantus Choir
Choir presentation
The Calicantus Choir is the concert ensemble of the singing school of the same name, founded in 1993 by Maestro Mario Fontana. The school trains 150 students aged 4 to 18 in singing and performance practices from all eras. Calicantus has become an educational and artistic model on an international scale.
The repertoire spans from the Renaissance to the present day, with a focus on music from Eastern and Northern Europe and international folklore.
Calicantus is regularly called upon to give premiere performances and collaborates with internationally renowned artists, Swiss composer Ivo Antognini, Swiss Radio, and the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana.
Calicantus represented Switzerland at the “World of Children’s Choirs” Festival in Canada in 2001 and has undertaken more than 150 tours throughout Europe.
THE CHOIR DIRECTOR: Mario Fontana
Mario Fontana was born in Locarno in 1963 and devoted himself to music as a self-taught musician from childhood. He later studied classical guitar and piano.
Having graduated in music pedagogy in 1992 from the Conservatory of Italian Switzerland, he then studied choral conducting in the Czech Republic with masters Alois and Tomas Motyl, Milan Uherek, and Dr. Olga Dutkova, and subsequently with Eric Ericson, Pablo Colino, Pamela Cook, Zimfira Poloz, and at the Roy Hart Theatre in London.
In 1993, he founded the Calicantus choir, which soon became an artistic and educational reference worldwide. He has won several awards at prestigious international competitions. In 2008, he was invited to the World Symposium on Choral Music in Copenhagen, where Calicantus was acclaimed as “the biggest joy in Copenhagen.”
Over 30 years, he has developed a music pedagogy that has become an international educational model. He has won several awards, including the Lamprecht-Steiger Choir Prize and the award for best choir conductor at the 2015 Rimini International Competition.
He is regularly invited as a speaker by Swiss and European institutions to present seminars on children’s singing methodology and to participate as a jury member in Swiss and international choral competitions.