The Goa University Choir was founded in August 2013 under the baton of Mtro. Dr. Santiago Lusardi Girelli, visiting Research Professor under the Western Music Chair of the Goa University. Since its creation, the GU CHOIR has offered multiple programmes, concerts and workshops across Goa and India, receiving excellent commentaries from audience and press alike. During the last three years, the Choir has offered more than 20 concerts at several important venues all around Goa and India, it has also collaborated and shared scenario with renowned artistes from all the world: India, Africa, Asia, Europe and America, among them Cappella della Luce Ensemble (Spain), Rakesh Chaurasia (INDIA), the St Ephraim Choir (Hungary), Vandalia and the Seville Chamber Choir (Spain), and the oldest Indian Orchestra: the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. The GU CHOIR has hosted more than 60 international artists and world-class soloists like the renowned Spanish soprano Rocío de Frutos (Spain), the Argentinian concertmaster Leo Rossi, the German flutist Mirjiam Munzel, and the British-Indian pianist from the Oxford University, Prof. Karl Luchtmayer (UK), within dozens of others. This innovative artistic project works as an educational, artistic and research project, and is most probably the very first University Choir in India. Associated with the Anthony Gonsalves Western Music Chair, the GU CHOIR, under the baton of Dr. Lusardi Girelli, has achieved important goals such as singing in more than 20 languages, blending Indian music with Gregorian chant, and the performance of the St Mathews Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach at the Ketevan Sacred Music Festival in collaboration with more than 40 artists coming from Europe and America. In 2016 the GU Choir released its first album, and in 2017 has recorded original soundtracks for the documentary on the life Goan activist Aquino Braganza. For 2018 it is preparing its second album production. The GU Choir is a living institution where people from the Goan community and GU students meet to achieve beauty through the ancient and novel practice of singing.
During the last four years, the Choir has offered more than 30 concerts at several important venues all around Goa and India. It has also collaborated and shared the stage with renowned artists from 20 countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Holland, Greece, China, Japan, Nepal, India, Iraq,Argelia, Morocco, Portugal and Brazil. We have hosted and collaborated with more than 200 artists from various orchestras, ensembles, choirs and soloists, among them being: Cappella Della Luce Ensemble (Spain), Rakesh Chaurasia (INDIA), the St Ephraim Choir (Hungary), the SOI - Symphonic Orchestra of India, Vandalia and the Seville Chamber Choir (Spain), Agshavali Male Choir (Georgia), the Bombay Chamber Orchestra, King´s Barbers Choir (UK), Oxford Somerville Choir (UK), besides others. Over the last four years the GU CHOIR has hosted more than a 100 international scholars, artists and world-class soloists at the GU Campus, for workshops, concerts, symposiums and other academic and musical projects
If you are passionate about music and especially choral music and looking for a challenge,
we would love to hear from you!
Auditions to join the GU CHOIR for the 2019-20 season are now open to new singers (students, faculty and people from the community).
New choir members need not be professional musicians, but singers should possess some important choral skills.
Perfectmusic-reading skills are not necessary,
but nuanced phrasing, and precise intonation are required. The Goa University Choir sings with a warm, tension-free tone, and passion. Though our members come from different walks of life and have a wide variety of vocations, some are experienced singers, while many learn step by step as we rehearse.
So drop all your inhibitions and come sing with us!
Singing in a Choir like the GU CHOIR is definitely an enriching experience!