Ensemble Corund was founded in 1993 by conductor Stephen Smith in order to enhance the professional choral scene in Switzerland and offer young music graduates a platform to further their development. Since then, the vocal group has established a reputation for high quality performances and has given well over 200 concerts to date. Their principle focus is sacred music from the Renaissance and the Baroque in addition to music from the 20th and 21st centuries. In the last few years, they have been performing choral works from the Classical and Romantic periods as well, including Mozart’s Requiem, Rossini’s Petit messe solennelle, Haydn’s Creation, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
The core of Ensemble Corund is made up of sixteen singers. The performing forces vary according to project, and range from four to forty voices. Ensemble Corund is a vocal group, chamber choir and concert choir all rolled into one. In each case, the main goal is to be historically informed and true to the text, in addition to giving performances that are full of expression and vitality.
Depending on the program, Ensemble Corund works with its own Corund Baroque Orchestra or other orchestras such as la banda ANTIX, the Zuger Sinfonietta, Musickkollegium Winterthur or the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Ensemble Corund has been well received at festivals and concerts on both sides of the Atlantic. Their performances have been praised by the press and the public for their innovative programming and musical style full of energy and emotion. Ensemble Corund presents an annual concert series in Lucerne, and is also gaining a reputation through CD and radio broadcast recordings.
