We are Voces Boreales
Founded in 2006, Voces Boreales chamber choir has carved out an enviable position in the classical music world. By combining the abundance of past and present-day repertoire, Voces Boreales offers listeners with original, accessible, and captivating concert experiences. Shortly after founding Voces Boreales, Michael Zaugg created the Montreal Choral Institute, a registered non-profit organization that produces and supports Voces Boreales’ concerts and educational activities: this has allowed Voces Boreales to grow and expand its activities of high musical and educational value, tailored to meet the needs of the local and national scene. All donations made to the Institute go towards Voces Boreales. In 2019, Voces Boreales launched a new vocal octet, VB8, made up of 8 handpicked Voces Boreales choristers. VB8 explores new repertoire and thanks to its smaller, more flexible format, gives outreach performances in different and original venues. In almost twenty years of existence, Voces Boreales has fostered a number of distinguished collaborations, like Karen Young, Hélène Dorion, Quatuor Bozzini, Quasar, and BradyWorks. In addition, it has been featured at Festival de Lanaudière and Festival Bach Montréal and was nominated twice for an Opus Prize by the Conseil Québécois de la musique. Both Voces Boreales and VB8 champion contemporary choral music and commissions new music – whilst performing this new repertoire in a historical context, alongside older repertoire. The choir prides itself on contributing to the careers of, among others, Benjamin Sigerson, Ian Chan, Louis Desjarlais, Avery Gietz, and Christopher Hossfeld, performing their works locally and internationally. Since 2014, Voces Boreales has performed over 50 pieces by Canadian artists, a true testament to its commitment to Canadian art.