Bilbao Choral Society
The Bilbao Choral Society was established in 1886, with the aim of developing the city’s rich music tradition, and in particular that of choral music. Over the past 130 years the choir has built up an international reputation, and has enjoyed continuous successes, awards and great prestige. Enrique Azurza assumed the role of Artistic Director in April 2016.
The choir has worked with many distinguished international conductors, amongst them Valery Gergiev, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Antoni Ros Marbá, Juanjo Mena, Víctor Pablo Pérez, Christoph Spering, Yaron Traub, Erik Nielsen, Mstislav Rostropovich, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Michel Plasson, Fernández Arbós, Vladimir Golschmann, Ataulfo Argenta, Jascha Horenstein, Odón Alonso, Patrick Juzeau, Miguel Angel Gómez Martínez, Moshe Atzmon and Theo Alcántara, amongst many others. Recent and future highlights include performances of Mahler’s Second Symphony and a staged production of Britten’s War Requiem, under the artistic direction of renowned director Calixto Bieito.
The Bilbao Choral Society performed the Spanish premieres of many of the great choral masterpieces, such as Verdi’s Requiem, Wagner’s Das Liebesmahl der Apostel, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, Franck’s Les Béatitudes, Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, Ligeti’s Requiem and Britten’s Spring Symphony. They are regularly approached to take part in projects featuring great works of the symphonic-choral repertoire, with some of their most recent projects including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mahler’s Second Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, Bruckner’s Te Deum and Fauré’s Requiem.
They have collaborated with international orchestras such as the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, Das Neue Orchester, National Orchestra of Bordeaux Aquitaine, l’Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Intercontemporain Paris, Orchestre Lamoureux, Orchestra Wiener Akademie and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, as well as with almost every professional orchestra in Spain. They have a prominent presence in Bilbao’s annual Musika-Música festival, which is modeled on Nantes’ La Folle Journée. The choir has a strong commitment to the performance and promotion of music from the Basque region of Spain, and they performed the world premiere of Arámbarri’s Castilla, Escudero’s Illeta, Karmelo Bernaola’s Euskadi. Euskarari Abestia, Guridi’s Mirentxu and Amaya, and Escudero’s Gernika.
Amongst their recordings are Granados’ Goyescas with the Orquesta de Cadaqués and Gianandrea Noseda, Guridi’s Amaya with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, and a CD dedicated to Basque composers and produced by EMI, with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and its former Principal Conductor Michel Plasson.
Their latest recordings include Puccini’s Turandot, recorded on the Naxos label with the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alexander Rahbari, and a recording featuring works by Pablo Sorozabal with the Basque National Orchestra and its former Artistic Director Cristian Mandeal. They have also recorded the zarzuela “El Caserío” by Guridi, together with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra under its former Artistic Director Juanjo Mena.
The choristers
SOPRANOS
Ziortza Amable
Maitane Angulo,
Gemma Agirrezabala
Bego Asumendi
Nerea Azkarate
Ana Caballero
Camelia Calvo
Marta Delgado
Sonia Delgado
Elena Díez
Mª Eugenia Dorronsoro
Lorea Elorriaga
Virginia Escribano
Naia Failde
Nora Franco
Marta Fuidio
Alaitz Garate
Angela García
Azucena García
María Garro
Loli Hernández
Svantje Hinsch
Patricia Intxaustegi
Olatz Larrieta
Ana Lauzirika
Iraultza Luzaide
Urrategi Luzaide
Anatere Martínez
Cristina Mendia
Mª Jesús Morales
Gurutze Ormaetxea
Marifeli Ormaetxea
Itziar Ortega
Ana Pascual
Inma Piñal
Esti Sánchez
Sofía Tobío
CONTRALTOS
Argi Abasolo
Anacariz Adrián
Mercedes Almeida
Loli Arribalzaga
Koro Artola
Elisa Aurre
Leire Cabodevilla
Marilu Clemente
Noelia Díez
Txaro Etxebarria
Cecilia Gómez
Asun Gómez
Marisa Gomeza
Cristina González
Ana Lastagaray
Gurutze Lejarza
Pilar Marcos
Nerea Martínez
Marian Méndez
Ángeles Muñoz
Eba Ojanguren
Elena Olano
Izaskun Ozerin
Cristina Pena
Sonia Pertíñez
Yolanda Quincoces
Marta San Antón
Cristina San Martín
Dori Sancho
Loli Suárez
Nerea Terán
Mª José Zalbide
TENORS
Alberto Abete
Gorka Aginaga
Iker Agirre
Xabier Aguirre
Juan Altube
Ander Añibarro
Mikel Arrieta
Edmund Bardrick
Ibai Cava
Ramón Crespo
Carlos de Antón
Aitor Elorrieta
Fernando Estévez
Iñigo Fernández
Jorge Estrade
Emilio Fiances,
José Miguel García
Santiago Gil
Alberto González
Gerardo Guijarrubia
Jon Herrero
Rubén Ibáñez
Joseba Ibaseta
Alberto Larzabal
Iñaki Marcos
Aitor Martínez,
Jordi Martínez
Eduardo Martínez
Alfonso Mendizabal
Jon Montiel
Juan Morán
Enrique Osorio
Joserra Pérez
Félix Pérez,
Carlos Rodríguez
Yoan David Rodríguez
Endika Rubio
Alberto Sáez
Gorka Unamuno
BASS
Jesús Arranz
Sabas Balanzategi
Aimar Basañez
Markos Basterretxea
Markel Becerra
Josetxo Brey
Antón Cortabitarte
Markus Englert
Santiago Ercoreca
Fernando Fernández
Pepelu Fernández
José Luis Gallego
Txema Garai
José Manuel Hernández
Jaime Legórburu
Aritz Lekerika
Aurelio Marroquín
Ricardo Martín
Fernando Martínez
Narciso Mazas
Niko Mendizabal
Gorka Pinillos
Álvaro Ruiz
Domingo Sánchez
Urko Sangroniz
Pello Telleria
Unai Uriarte
Juan Ignacio Zorrilla
