Collegium Vocale Gent

The Collegium Vocale Gent was founded in 1970 on the initiative of Philippe Herreweghe. It was one of the first ensembles that extended the new interpretative principles of Baroque music to the vocal repertoire. At once musicians such as Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman and Nikolaus Harnoncourt took a lively interest in the unaffected and dynamic approach of this Flemish ensemble what has led up to an intensive collaboration. In the middle of the eighties the ensemble became internationally known and this resulted in performances on all important stages and music festivals in Europe, Israel, the USA, Russia, South America, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.

The repertoire of the Collegium Vocale Gent does not belong to one particular style period. With an always optimal complement this repertoire ranges from Renaissanse polyphony, classical and romantic vocal works to contemporary music. Baroque music and especially the works of J.S. Bach and G.F. Händel have a particular place in the performances of the ensemble.

A capella or with the accompaniment of the orchestra of the Collegium Vocale Gent or the Orchestre des Champs Elysées and under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe the ensemble set up a large discography with more than 65 recordings, mainly on the labels Harmonia Mundi France and Virgin Classics.
Recent CDs are e.g. Tönet, ihr Pauken (HMC901860) with secular cantatas of J.S. Bach, the masterly Psalmi Davidis Poenitentialis of Orlandus Lassus (HMC901831.32) and Heinrich Schütz’ Opus Ultimum ‘Schwanengesang’ (HMC 901895.96).

The Collegium Vocale Gent collaborated with several orchestras and ensembles such as the Freiburger Barockorchester, the Ricercar Consort but also with deFilharmonie, the Koninklijk Concertgebouw and the Vienna Philharmonic. In addition to Philippe Herreweghe the Collegium Vocale also performed under the direction of a number of prominent conductors like Sigiswald Kuijken, René Jacobs, Daniel Reuss, Philippe Pierlot, Paul Van Nevel, Bernard Haitink, Ivan Fischer, Marcus Creed, James Wood, Peter Phillips.

© collegium vocale gent/jens van durme (May 2007)