Coral Cantiga was founded by Leo Massó in 1961 in Barcelona within the popular and renowned Lluïsos de Gràcia association. The choir has been directed by Leo Massó himself, Oriol Ponsa, Edmon Colomer, Josep Prats and, since November 2021, Montserrat Meneses.
The repertoire of Coral Cantiga includes a cappella works and many of the great symphonic-choral compositions from all eras and styles, which have been performed in collaboration with esteemed Catalan and international orchestras, such as the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Vallès Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the National Classical Orchestra of Andorra and the Terrassa 48 Chamber Orchestra.
Coral Cantiga has been led, among other conductors, by Oriol Martorell, Salvador Mas, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Salvador Brotons, Edmon Colomer, Manel Valdivieso, Jordi Casas, Xavier Puig, José Rafael Pascual-Vilaplana, Trevor Pinnock, Pierre Cao, László Heltay, Johan Duijck, Fernando Eldoro, Marcos Leite, Werner Pfaff, Néstor Andrenacci, María Guinand, Dan-Olof Stenlund, and Guerassim Voronkov.
The choir has frequently recorded for radio and television like Catalunya Música, RNE, TVC, TVE, and has performed in the main venues of Barcelona, such as the Palau de la Música Catalana and l’Auditori, and in major festivals and series of the city —Week of Religious Music, Early Music Festival, Euroconcert, Ibercamera, the Choral Series of the Orfeó Català, the Grec Festival, among others—. Coral Cantiga has also performed at the Palau de la Música in Valencia, religious music festivals in Cuenca, Valladolid and Vitoria, the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid, and several international festivals in Autun, Loughborough, Namur, Almada, Strasbourg, and Pécs.
In addition to its a cappella performances encompassing polyphony from diverse periods and styles and its symphonic-choral performances —including masses, requiems, passions and psalms, Messiah, Carmina Burana, and The Creation—, Coral Cantiga has also collaborated in several concerts of Maria del Mar Bonet and in the recording of her album Amic, amat (2004). The choir has also presented more interdisciplinary repertoires, collaborating with figures from theatre, dance, and literature. Titles include La tonalitat de l’Infinit (Casasses-Gasull), La Mar (Maragall-Guinovart ), Mobília o la vita è mobile (Piti Español – Guinovart), poetic and musical performances based on texts by Rilke (Ja que tot passa…), García Lorca (Alma ausente), and several Catalan poets (Gent de bella anomenada). The choir has also created original productions like Mars d’acollida? or Sons i colors del Carib.
Coral Cantiga has also collaborated with the Cultural Center of Terrassa in the production of three choreographic shows with the National Ballet of France-Bordeaux (Messiah) and Maria Rovira’s Crea Dance Company (Carmina Burana by Carl Orff and Requiem by Mozart). Recent collaborations include the Barcelona Municipal Band and the Cobla Sant Jordi, such as the Cor i cobla program and the recording of works by Manuel Oltra. Additionally, the choir often commissions works from current national composers, premiering these pieces in its concerts.
Coral Cantiga is member of the Catalan Federation of Choral Entities, the European Federation Europa Cantat, and the International Federation for Choral Music.
