The CERN Choir was founded in 1974 by Colin Taylor. Two times a year, the choir performs concerts in Geneva and the neighbouring French regions.

The club is open for all, even people external to CERN. The repertoire is varied: Bach, Britten, Duruflé, Dvorak, Fauré, Franck, Haendel, Haydn, Mozart, Palestrina, Penderecki, Purcell, Theodorakis, Rutter...

Since 1989 the choir has been under the direction of Gonzalo Martinez. After robust musical studies in his home town of Buenos Aires, Barcelona then at the Conservatoire of Geneva, he acquired a particular control of the singing, the composition and the direction of choir and orchestra.

The CERN choir was created in autumn 1974 with the Orchestra of the CERN, under the shape of the numerous clubs of the Staff Association, by a group of enthusiastic music lovers among whom were Colin Taylor, Mervyn Hyne and Hildred Blewett. Renée Adam and CERN Woman's Club as well as the members of the Geneva Amateur Operatic Society contributed actively in this creation.

Colin Taylor was our first director, then the direction of the Choir was entrusted to professional directors Bill Lugg, J-M. Curti, P-L. Siron, H. Albertolli and since 1989, to the Argentine Gonzalo Martinez who also manages the Choir Pro Musica Of Annecy, the Vocal ensemble Heinrich Schütz of Annecy, and the Vocal Chapel of Lausanne.

The Choir holds a particular place in the regional cultural life. It occurs in concert twice a year, towards Christmas and in the spring, in Geneva and in nearby France. Since a few years, it sings in July to the festivals summer in Rhône-Alpes. For works demanding a mattering size, it joins to other vocal groups such as Pro Musica of Annecy, the Maitrise of the Academy of Geneva and the Choir of the Institute Jacques Dalcroze of Geneva. It sang with groups such as the Orchestra of Geneva Lancy, the New Orchestra of Geneva, the Symphony orchestra of French-speaking Switzerland, the Symphony orchestra of Rostov on Don and that of Belgorod, with soloists such as Adriana Fernandez, Mireille Weber, Claude Darbellay, Stephan Imboden, Peter Schûler, Werner van Mechelen, Valério Contaldo and Fabian Schofrin and finally artists such as Robert Zimansky and Roberto Sawicki (violin), Thilo Muster and Leonardo Garcia-Alarcon (organ and harpsichord) as well as Ursula Rüttiman and Pascal Salomon (piano).

The CERN choir constituted a highly varied directory, including works of Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz, Brahms, Britten, Cherubini, Duruflé, Dvorrak, Fauré, Heandel, Haydn, Honegger, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Palestrina, Penderecki, Purcell, Rossini, Théodorakis, Schubert, Rutter.

Discovery our concert history here!

The CERN choir tried, from the beginning, to be independent on the financial plan what was easier when the soloists and the musicians were practically every time not professionals. Today, to present quality concerts, it surrounds itself with professional musicians.

The Choir does not perceive direct financial support on behalf of the administration of the CERN, but he can be helped punctually, on request, by the Committee of the Clubs of the CERN, as the other clubs. He thus has to insure the payment of the professional artists by the sale of tickets, by the advertising inserted into his programs and by the donations of the generous sponsors.

The choir is very grateful for being able to use the Amphitheater of the CERN for its repetitions and for some of its concerts. Another precious element for the Choir is the piano Steinway 221 B provided to him by the Staff Association.