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Created in 1997 with the aim of promoting, cultivating, and disseminating choral singing in the state of Amazonas and to support the Department of Culture's Classical Music and Arts Program, the Coral do Amazonas is considered the most traditional group in the state.
Until 2016, the choir performed under the name of the Coral do Teatro do Amazonas, and to become part of the state's official Artistic Corps, its members participated in a public selection process. The Coral do Amazonas' first formation consisted of 49 professional choristers, 31 of whom were from the previous group. For 20 years, the Choir was directed by Maestro Zacarias Fernandes, and in early 2018, it was taken over by Maestro Otávio Simões.
Currently, the Coral do Amazonas consists of 62 singers: 17 sopranos, 16 altos, 14 tenors, and 15 basses, as well as two pianists, an assistant conductor, and a vocal coach. Some of these professionals have been with the choir since its inception.
The Coral do Amazonas performs at the Teatro Amazonas - as part of the Department of Culture's programming and in conjunction with the orchestras of the state's Artistic Corps—such as the Christmas Concert and the "Guaraná" and "Encontro das Águas" series. It also performs in theaters and cultural centers in Manaus, as well as throughout the state's interior. The group presents major symphonic works, popular music, and film, as well as a vast a cappella repertoire with piano accompaniment.
The Teatro Amazonas has participated in the Festival Amazonas de Ópera since its inception in 1997, making it the only Amazonas-based artistic corps to have performed in every edition of the event. It has experience singing in several languages, especially Italian, English, German, and French, which are the main languages in the world of opera.
Among its achievements, the recording of Adelson Santos' opera "Dessana, Dessana" at Sala Cecília Meirelles in Rio de Janeiro is also noteworthy. |
