Cantus Firmus

Brussels

Belgium

The female vocal ensemble Cantus Firmus is based in Schaerbeek and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Belgium). The ensemble has been led by Hélène Richardeau since 2007. The choir members enjoy discovering new repertoire and delight in blending their voices together.

Cantus Firmus deliberately chooses to juxtapose contemporary music with Renaissance music, modern music with classical music, and so on. In doing so, the choir enjoys experimenting with space and staging.

In April 2016, the vocal ensemble unanimously won first prize at the International Competition for Religious Music for Youth Choirs in Liège.

In May 2018, the choir was selected for the top category at the European Music Festival for Youth in Neerpelt. As the only French-speaking Belgian choir, Cantus Firmus represented its colours with talent and enthusiasm and won second prize.

In May 2023, Cantus Firmus was selected to take part in the prestigious CANTARODE International Choral Competition in the Netherlands.

The Namur en Choeur festival invited Cantus Firmus as a guest choir for the gala concert on 1 June 2024.

Last year, their concert ‘Passage-Bach et l’Écho des Siècles’, as part of Les Grandes Heures at the Abbey of Ter Kameren, was enthusiastically received by both the public and the press.
 

With a bold programme that interwove Bach’s music with contemporary choral motets, the choir — accompanied by an all-female orchestra — left a lasting impression through the high quality of their performance. In addition, Cantus Firmus performs regularly at Brussels Cathedral, as well as at numerous Belgian choral festivals such as the Bornem Organ Festival, Echo for Peace, Les Grandes Heures de la Cambre, Ars in Cathedrali, Méditations d’orgue aux Dominicains, À Choeurs Croisés, Singing Brussels, MusiqueS à Saint-Denis, Concerts Spirituels, etc...​