Consortium Musicum Ljubljana
Background
The choir was established in 1968 when Mirko Cuderman founded a musical society and gathered a group of classical and choral music lovers. Cuderman, who had gained his professional musical education in Vienna, realised the need for a larger choral body which would be able to perform big vocal-instrumental compositions. Cuderman stayed as the choir's permanent conductor also after 1991 when the professional Slovene Chamber Choir (SKZ) was established. Since then the choir Consortium Musicum performs together with the SKZ.
Programme
Specialised in performances of standard vocal-instrumental repertoire (for example, Verdi's Requiem, Brahms's German requiem, Mahler's symphonies, Bach cantatas and passions, masses by Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn), the Consortium Musicum choir also prepares a capella concerts.
The choir performs its programmes independently or in collaboration with other artists (it has collaborated with around 40 conductors and 140 soloists), orchestras and choirs (especially with the Slovene Chamber Choir). Its repertoire includes more than 150 oratories, cantatas and sacred music as well as around 350 a cappella compositions from various historical periods. Among these are 16 first interpretations of new compositions and 147 composition performances premièred in Ljubljana.
Venues, awards and recordings
The choir has participated in many festivals and competitions and has received several prizes, including a national award from the Gallus Foundation and the Župančič Award of the City of Ljubljana.
Consortium Musicum has collaborated on the acclaimed Musica Sacra Slovenica CD series and recorded more then 30 CDs. The choir's discography includes majority of Slovene sacred compositions.