About us

Il Convitto Armonico is a vocal ensemble which main interest is on historically informed performance of ancient music. It is composed of singers who studied in Italian "Conservatori" (schools of music) and who acquired significant vocal and musical skills singing as soloists or as a part of vocal and instrumental groups.

Zagarolo (2006)

The ensemble was created in 1990 by its actual directors, Stefano Buschini (musical director) and Marco Montanelli (artistic director); it mainly sings a chappella, but it also has experiences of musica concertata or music with an orchestra (Vivaldi's Gloria and Magnificat in year 2000, Charpentier's Messe de Minuit in year 2004 with the Orchestra barocca G.B. Tiepolo of the Friuli Venezia Giulia).

The ensemble had performances all around the Country and abroad, singing in the most important music festivals and in many ancient music seasons. Among these: Incontri Polifonici Internazionali "Città di Fano"  in the year 2000 and 2004, Gala Concert of IX Concorso Internazionale di Composizione ed elaborazione corale di Trento 1996-1997, Laudes  for the Milan Conservatory and the Università Cattolica of Milano in 1998, Rassegna Internazionale delle Cappelle Musicali  (Loreto) in 1999, in the Abendmusiken concert season (Milano) in 1999, "El Siglo de los Genoveses"  (Genova) in 2000, Festival Nazionale di Musica Sacra "Musica. Luogo d'incontro"  (Savona) in 2001 e 2002, VIII Rassegna Polifonica Aprutina  (Teramo) in 2001, XIX Rassegna di Musica Sacra della Polifonica Lucchese  (Lucca) in 2002, Voci d'Europa (Bastia, Corse, France) in 2002, Rassegna Internazionale di Musica Antica  (Bergamo) in 2002, Festival di Musica, prosa e danza "Lunatica"  (Massa) in 2003, XII Rassegna Polifonica Internazionale "Città di Atri"  in 2005, Concerti della Fondazione Marco Fodella (Milano) in 1996 and 2006, Rassegna Internazionale di Corali Polifoniche dell'Aquila and Rassegna Corale Internazionale "Cantare amantis est" (Salerno) in 2006.

The ensemble won five national choir competitions and other special prizes:
Concorso di Polifonia Profana di Marano Vicentino (October 1996)
Concorso Nazionale di esecuzione polifonica di Quartiano (May 1997, with the special prize for the execution of the compulsory piece and best execution of a free piece)
Concorso Nazionale "Don Gaudenzio Soglio" di Quarona Sesia (June 1997)
Gran Premio "Efrem Casagrande" di Vittorio Veneto (competition reserved to the winners of the last year national choir competitions, May 1998)
5th National Choir competition "Città di Zagarolo", June 2006.

In the year 1999 the ensemble recorded with the Ars Cantica Choir, conducted by Marco Berrini, the Lorenzo Perosi's Missa "Benedicamus Domino" (Sarx Records).

In the year 2003 Il Convitto Armonico recorded the Marc'Antonio Ingegneri's Feria Quinta in Coena Domini ad Matutinum (Music for the Mundy Thurday, for Tactus). This recording was received enthusiastically by italian (5 stars - exceptional - from "Musica", 4 stars from "Amadeus") and foreigner reviewers ("Early Music Review" - London, ConcertZender - Satellite Netherland Radio); the recording is already at is second edition (2004).

The group last CD (again with the Tactus label), is the Tomàs Luis de Victoria (Missa O quam gloriosum, Mottetti e Inni). It was released on july 2008 and has again received enthusiastical attention by italian (4 stars from "Musica") and international reviewers ( "L'éducation musicale", France, and "Fanfare - The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors", UK).

The vocal ensemble, as a whole and as individual, studies continuously with national and international teachers, the ancient music scores in both the vocal and the historical execution perspective.

Il Convitto Armonico is the external "Laboratory" Choir for the course of "Choir direction" of the "G. Puccini" Conservatory (La Spezia).