Biography

The Choir was founded in 1979 and takes its name from a district of Rovereto, a town in Vallagarina known for the MART and “Maria Dolens”, the bell whose tolling every evening, commemorate the Fallen of all wars. Well amalgamated, marked by the search for new artistic experiences, under the guidance of M Antonio Pileggi, the S. Ilario Choir has continuously grown both in technical-vocal performance and in interpretative sensitivity. According to the experts it is a choir with an excellent artistic level, a condition that allowed it to win in November 1998 the first prize at the National Competition of Saint-Vincent in Valle d’Aosta, to win in November 2000 at the first European Competition of Bolzano the fourth place overall and the first prize for best appreciation assigned by the public and in November 2003 to win the prestigious National Competition of Ivrea (the first choir trentino to win this event).

The year 2000 saw the Choir engaged in a series of concerts in Palestine, on the occasion of the events “Italy for Bethlehem 2000”, representing the trentino choir and Rovereto “City of Peace”. In 2002 in collaboration with the Valle dei Laghi Choir and the Orchestras of the Teatro Regio di Parma and Accademia Filarmonica di Bologna, he became the protagonist of the project “Messa delle Montagne dedicato alle Dolomiti” for popular choir and orchestra. The work was composed and directed by M Giovanni Veneri to celebrate worthily the “2002 International Year of the Mountains”. The Teatro Zandonai in Rovereto hosted the performance of this opera in world premiere in the spring of 2002; later the work was revived in Bolzano, Trento, Val di Sella at the Vegetal Cathedral, Bologna and in the Cathedral of Parma. The work was awarded the Eagle of St. Wenceslas the highest cultural recognition issued by the Autonomous Province of Trento.

In August 2005 as part of the event “I Suoni delle Dolomiti”, the choir participated with the Valle dei Laghi Choir and Antonella Ruggiero in the concert “Echoes of infinity” on a special project “La Montagna Cantata”. The concert was repeated at the Teatro Strehler in Milan, at the Vittoriano in Rome and at the Auditorium Melotti in Rovereto.

In September 2006, as part of the reborn Provincial Handicraft Exhibition, a new concert of the choir with Antonella Ruggiero enriched by the presence of the Cristallarmonio by Gianfranco Grisi, the pianist Mark Harris and the percussionist Ivan Ciccarelli.

March 1, 2007, in the evening of the “duets” the choir participates, with Antonella Ruggiero and the Valle dei Laghi Choir, in the 57th edition of the Sanremo Festival with the song “Canzone fra le guerre”.

In June 2007 we are again guests of M Giovanni Veneri and the city of Parma. Together with three other popular choirs the choir performs the Magnificat with Orchestra A. Toscanini and soprano Tania Bussi in the prestigious Teatro Farnese. The concert that also saw the presence of the bass Michele Pertusi is repeated in the splendid Piazza delle Terme di Salsomaggiore.

In November 2007 the official presentation of the new CD entitled “Oltre”. Fifteen pieces of the choir repertoire, one of which with the splendid voice of Antonella Ruggiero and one accompanied by M Gianfranco Grisi with the English concertina.

December 16, 2007, the concert at the Auditorium “F. Melotti” (MART) of Rovereto together with Mark Harris, one of the most known and respected musicians in the environment of modern Italian music.

August 30, 2008, the amphitheater of the Bell of the Fallen of Rovereto hosts the execution of the “Magnificat”. The work created and conducted by M Giovanni Veneri is performed in front of an audience of 2,000 people together with the Monte Cimon Choir of Miane (TV), the soprano Tania Bussi and the accompaniment of the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra of Piacenza. The evening was created to commemorate the ninety years since the end of the Great War.
In 2009 on the occasion of the centenary of Futurism he presented the show “Homage to Fortunato Depero” in collaboration with the ARTEA Dance Company.
In 2011 to honor the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, the choir organized the show “A heart, a Nation” in the splendid setting of the Former Tobacco Factory of Rovereto. Mark Harris, Carlo Cantini, Ivan Ciccarelli, Giulia Galletti and the ARTEA Company with its dancers and its actors including Raffaele Eccheli, have embellished all the splendid performances. Richieste Annually organizes a musical event trying to combine folk singing with different arts such as theater, acting, image, dance and with the presence of musicians of various kinds.