Il Coro della Radio Svizzera (Lugano)

The Swiss Radio Choir of Lugano was founded by Edwin Loehrer in 1936 and over the years has won worldwide reputation, particularly through its radio and disc recordings concerning the Italian repertoire between sixteenth and eighteenth Centuries. The Choir appears in formations which vary from Madrigal ensembles to over sixty singers coming from various nations. It is especially tended to performances of Renaissance and Baroque Music.

After over forty years under the leadership of Edwin Loehrer, ten years with Francis Travis and three with André Ducret, the Choir has been directed by Diego Fasolis since 1993 who has developed a further rich production of concerts and recordings. Over the years the wide production, with "I monumenti dell'arte italiana", the new Loehrer Edition and the recordings conducted by Fasolis, has collected the praise of the specialized press, as well as several awards such as Golden Records, Diapason d'Or, R10, Star of Fonoforum, Monthly Record, Altemusikaktuel, 5Diapason, Nomination at Grammy Award, Foundation Cini's Award, A of Amadeus ...

1998 the Choir was on tour with Bach's Motets, and has been defined as the European Top at the well-known Flander's Festival at Bruges: it has at once been invited in 1999 for a new success with Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine, in 2000 with Handel's Messiah, in 2002 with Monteverdi's Orfeo, in 2003 with Handel's Israel In Egypt.

Being a radiophonic ensemble, the Choir has a very large repertoire which spans over hunderts of compositions of over six centuries, and in more than 60 years has collected a huge archive of productions. Guest directors of great renown have praised the musical and technical qualities of the Choir that, thanks to its flexible structure, feels at its ease in madrigals as well as in operas. Contemporary works are also visited with several first performances. In the last years following conductors among others have performed with the Choir: René Clemencic, Michel Corboz, Ton Koopmann, Gustav Leonhard, Michael Radulescu, Helmut Rilling, and many others.

Roberto Balconi
Annemieke Cantor
Daniele Carnovich
Alena Dantcheva
Luca Dordolo
Ragni Nadia
Furio Zanasi