Founded in 2005 following an interpretation workshop with Ton Koopman, the Collegium Vocale under the direction of Ulrike Grosch has quickly established itself as a distinguished presence within the Swiss choral scene. Based at the Franziskanerkirche in Lucerne, the ensemble consists primarily of students and graduates of Swiss music universities.

Alongside its ensemble work, Collegium Vocale regularly offers young artists the opportunity to perform solo parts, thereby fostering a close connection between higher musical education and concert performance.

The ensemble is known for thoughtfully curated programmes that place a cappella works of the classical modern era in dialogue with music from other periods. Programmes have included works by Messiaen and Le Jeune, Mahler, Schnittke and Richard Strauss, as well as Schönberg, Webern, Schumann, Rudolf Mauersberger and Kurt Thomas. The choir also presents thematic programmes, for example featuring English choral music by Britten, Elgar and Vaughan Williams or works from around the 1950s by Villa-Lobos, Daniel-Lesur and Petrassi.

With performances of Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine, Mozart’s Requiem and works by Bach and Schütz, Collegium Vocale is equally active in the field of early music.

Invitations to international festivals including the International Choral Biennale Aachen, the International Church Music Festival in Oslo and the International Choral Days Berlin underline the ensemble’s artistic profile and complement its regular concert activity in the Lucerne region. The choir has also appeared repeatedly at Lucerne Festival.