Mozart's Great Mass in C minor
Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir
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Date
- 20:00 / Cancelled 20:00 / Sold out Thursday, 20:00
- 19:00 / Cancelled 19:00 / Sold out Friday, 19:00
Location
Grand Auditorium Calouste Gulbenkian FoundationThis concert concert will be broadcast live here on 23 January, at 19:00 (GMT).
Pricing
25% – Under 30
10% – Over 65
Cartão Gulbenkian:
50% – Under 30
20% – Over 65
10% – 30 to 65
- Conductor
- Soprano
- Soprano
- Tenor
- André Henriques Baritone
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Gulbenkian Choir
Coro Gulbenkian was founded in 1964 by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as a full symphonic body of around 100 singers. The choir joins the Orquestra Gulbenkian and other orchestras to perform Classical, Romantic and Contemporary choral-symphonic repertoire, but can also perform a cappella. It has performed – and often premiered – many 20th century works by Portuguese and international composers.
Coro Gulbenkian has been invited to collaborate with major international orchestras, under the direction of conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Colin Davis, John Nelson, Emmanuel Krivine, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Frans Brüggen, Franz Welser-Möst, Gerd Albrecht, Michael Gielen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, René Jacobs and Leonard Slatkin, among others.
Besides its regular season of concerts in Lisbon and frequent national tours, Coro Gulbenkian has repeatedly toured Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
Coro Gulbenkian has recorded extensively for Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Cascavelle, Musifrance, as well as FNAC-Music, performing a wide range of repertoire, from Early-Renaissance polyphony to Xenakis. Several of these albums received international awards.
Michel Corboz was the Principal Conductor between 1969 and 2019. Jorge Matta and Inês Tavares Lopes are currently the Associate and Assistant conductors, respectively.
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Gulbenkian Orchestra
In 1962, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation decided to establish a permanent orchestral ensemble. Originally with only twelve musicians (strings and continuo) it was named “Orquestra de Câmara Gulbenkian”. This collective was successively enlarged and today the “Orquestra Gulbenkian” (the name it has adopted since 1971) has a permanent body of sixty instrumentalists, a number that can be expanded depending on the repertoire.
This structure allows the Gulbenkian Orchestra to interpret works from the Baroque and Classical periods, a significant part of 19th century orchestral literature and much of the music of the 20th century, including works belonging to the current repertoire of the traditional symphonic orchestras. In each season, the orchestra performs on a regular series of concerts at the Gulbenkian Grand Auditorium in Lisbon, where it has had the opportunity of working together with some of leading names of the world of music (conductors and soloists). It has also performed on numerous locations all over Portugal, in an effort to decentralize music and culture.
The orchestra has been constantly expanding its activities in the international level, performing in Europe, Asia Africa, and the Americas. In the recording field, Orquestra Gulbenkian is associated to labels as Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, Hyperion, Teldec, Erato, Adès, Nimbus, Lyrinx, Naïve and Pentatone, among others, and this activity was recognized with several international prizes.
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Sofi Jeannin
Conductor
Renowned for her beautifully clear and succinct technique, and with a formidable knowledge of repertoire across all genres, Swedish born conductor Sofi Jeannin has established herself as one of the most respected choral specialists today. She currently serves as Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers, Chief Conductor of Ars Nova Copenhagen, and Music Director of the Maîtrise de Radio France since 2008. Jeannin was Music Director of the Chœur de Radio France from 2015 to 2018.
Alongside her regular commitments, Jeannin is in high demand as a guest conductor. Notably, in the 2025/26 season, she conducts Brahms’ Requiem with Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Mozart Great Mass in C minor with Gulbenkian, Handel’s Messiah with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s St John Passion with Sinfonia Lahti, James MacMillan’s Ordo Virtutum with NFM Wroclaw Choir and Poulenc’s Gloria and Coleridge-Taylor's Meg Blane with the Royal College of Music orchestra.
She conducted last summer the opening concert of the Edinburgh International Festival with the epic 8 hours long The Veil of the Temple by Sir John Tavener, together with the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, National Youth Choir of Scotland, NCOS Chamber Choir, Monteverdi Choir and Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She is going back to the Edinburgh International Festival in summer 2026 with an American choral programme.
Recent highlights include appearances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Choral collaborations include the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, Swedish Radio Choir, Nederlands Kamerkoor, DR VokalEnsemblet, Coro Casa da Musica, Chamber Choir Ireland and Sao Paulo Symphony Choir.
For her last season as Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers, Jeannin leads rich and varied programmes together with New Zealand Voices, and also with the Academy of Ancient Music for Bach’s Mass in B minor. Jeannin is regularly at the BBC Proms with the BBC Singers. Under her leadership, the ensemble has premiered works by Missy Mazzoli, Shiva Feshareki, and Nico Muhly. Notable collaborations include one with the Academy of Ancient Music and South Asian dance company Akademi, exploring the dances of Rameau with classical and contemporary Indian dance; with British-Indian Soumik Datta and his work Awaaz weaving Indian classical music, Bengali folk, Tagore and Partition songs; with South African cellist and vocalist Abel Selaocoe, and another one featured Poulenc’s iconic choral work Figure Humaine with jazz interpolations from BBC New Generation Artist Misha Mullov Abado.
This season, Jeannin brings Ars Nova Copenhagen for concerts celebrating Arvo Pärt and Palestrina anniversaries all over Denmark but also in Flagey Brussels and in Barcelona. Jeannin’s post of Music Director of la Maîtrise de Radio France – the choir favoured by Messiaen and Dutilleux – gives her musical and pedagogical responsibility for 180 choristers. This season is Jeannin’s 18th season with them and it’s also their 80th anniversary. With la Maîtrise, Jeannin has commissioned multiple new works, collaborating with composers such as Kaija Saariaho, Peter Eötvös, John Adams, Thierry Escaich and Olga Neuwirth, and is giving regular broadcasts on France Musique.
Committed to education and outreach work, Jeannin has worked with the chorus and orchestra of Kinshasa, Congo, and has also been involved in El Sistema, Greece, since early 2017. She regularly gives workshops and masterclasses around the world.
Jeannin studied conducting and singing at the Stockholm Royal College of Music, the Nice Conservatoire and then at the Royal College of Music, London, with Paul Spicer, and prepared the Chorus for conductors including Bernard Haitink, Peter Schreier and David Willcocks.
She is an Officer de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2025), Officer de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques (2018), and Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (2021). She was awarded the Grand Prix Antoine Livio 2023 by the International Music Press Association, in recognition of her work with the Maîtrise de Radio France. In recognition of distinguished achievements in choral directing, she was also awarded the highest honour of the Royal College of Organists, the RCO Medal, in 2024.
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Sophie Bevan
Soprano
Sophie Bevan is recognised as one of the leading lyric sopranos of her generation. She was made an MBE for services to music in 2019.
She works regularly with leading orchestras including the LPO, Bergen Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, English Concert, the SCO, Concertgebouw, OAE and Swedish Radio Orchestras and has appeared regularly at both the Edinburgh and the BBC Proms Festivals. An acclaimed recitalist she performs at venues including the Concertgebouw and Wigmore Hall.
Sought after for her work in opera Sophie’s recent and future engagements include Ilia Idomeneo, Sophie Der Rosenkavalier, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro Dalinda Ariodante, Pamina Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Opera House, Fiordiligi / Cosi fan tutte for Welsh National Opera, Ellen Orford Peter Grimes for the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Hermione in Ryan Wigglesworth’s The Winter’s Tale, Télaïre Castor and Pollux and one of the lead sopranos in The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas for ENO, Melisande Pelleas et Melisande for Dresden Semperoper, Asteria Tamerlano for The Grange Festival, Freia Das Rheingold at Teatro Real, Madrid and Governess The Turn of the Screw in the acclaimed production for Garsington Opera.
Sophie lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, three children and two cocker spaniels.
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Rowan Pierce
Soprano
Yorkshire born soprano Rowan Pierce received the President’s Award from HRH The Prince of Wales at RCM in 2017, the First Prize and Song Prize at the Grange Festival International Singing Competition and the Schubert Society singer prize. She was a Rising Star of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and a Harewood Artist at English National Opera.
She has appeared on the concert platform throughout Europe, North and South America with ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music, Gabrieli Consort, Freiburg Baroque, Scottish Chamber, BBC Scottish Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras. She made her debuts at the BBC Proms Festival and Wigmore Hall in 2017 and has subsequently returned to both.
Rowan appears frequently at Festivals in the UK and in Europe. Highlights include appearances in the Edinburgh International Festival with the English Concert and the RSNO, collaborations with Sir Thomas Allen and Christopher Glynn at the Ryedale Festival, Dame Anne Murray and Malcolm Martineau at the Oxford Lieder Festival and with Roger Vignoles at the Leeds Lieder Festival. Recent and future concerts include Israel in Egypt with the SCO, Messiah and the Creation with the Hallé, Christmas Oratorio with the Britten Sinfonia and concerts with Les Arts Florissants, Early Opera Company, Music of the Baroque, Irish Baroque and Florilegium.
Opera appearances include Miss Wordsworth / Albert Herring, Princess / L’enfant et les Sortilèges, Drusilla / L’incoronazione di Poppea, Susanna / Le nozze di Figaro, Belinda / Dido and Aeneas, Tiny / Paul Bunyan, and Papiria / Lucio Papirio Dittatore. Recent and future engagements include Oberto / Alcina (Glyndebourne Festival), Papagena (The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden) and Dede / A Quiet Place (Linbury at Covent Garden), Quivera / The Indian Queen (Opera de Lille, Opera du Caen and Opera du Luxembourg) under Emmanuelle Haim, Oberto (Staatstheater Stuttgart), Barbarina (Grange Festival, ENO and Nevill Holt Opera) and Galatea (Vache Baroque Festival).
Rowan’s discography includes Purcell ‘The Cares of Lovers (Lynn), Vaughan Williams Sinfonia Antartica with the RLPO (Onyx), King Arthur with the Gabrieli Consort (Signum), Acis and Galatea with the Early Opera Company (Chandos), Schubert Lieder with Roderick Williams and Christopher Glynn (Hyperion) and future releases include a disc of song by Roderick Williams on the Champs Hill label.
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Robin Tritschler
Tenor
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Irish tenor Robin Tritschler is acclaimed for his “radiantly lyrical” voice, garnering praise from critics and audiences alike.
This season Robin sings concert performances of Purcell’s King Arthur with Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel in Paris and in the Opéra National de Bordeaux, Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Wiener Symphoniker and Fabio Biondi, Mozart's Great Mass in C minor with Sofi Jeannin and the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with the Västerås Sinfonietta and Simon Crawford-Philips. Robin will also give a recital with Magnus Svensson at the Konserthuset Stockholm.
Recent seasons have included Monteverdi’s Vespers with Ensemble Pygmalion and Raphaël Pichon, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Paris Philharmonie, and collaborations with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Václav Luks, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Bartók’s Cantata Profana conducted by Dalia Stasevska. Tritschler made notable debuts at the Seoul Arts Center in the premiere of The Rising World, at the PyeongChang Festival with Britten’s Serenade and The Turn of the Screw, and in recital at Ukaria in Australia with Olli Mustonen. He is a regular guest at Wigmore Hall, London.
Highlights of recent years include performances with the London Symphony Orchestra in Bruckner’s Te Deum under Nathalie Stutzmann, appearances with the Munich Philharmonic, and a return to the Salzburg Festival for Nono’s Il canto sospeso. He has sung with leading orchestras and at major venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Suntory Hall Tokyo, the Royal Albert Hall, and Sala São Paulo.
On the operatic stage, Tritschler has appeared at Teatro Colón, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Theater Basel, the Bregenz Festival, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. A distinguished recitalist, he collaborates regularly with pianists such as Graham Johnson, Malcolm Martineau, Iain Burnside, and Julius Drake, and was an Artist in Residence at Wigmore Hall.
His growing discography includes critically acclaimed recordings for Signum Classics and Hyperion.
Francis Poulenc
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Swedish conductor Sofi Jeannin is today one of the greatest specialists in choral repertoire, and is recognised for the beautiful, clear sound she can bring out of the ensembles she conducts. In these concerts she will conduct the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra in two masterpieces by Poulenc and Mozart. Gloria is one of the pieces written by Poulenc in his reconciliation with Catholicism, while the Great Mass in C minor, despite being left unfinished, is one of Mozart’s most astonishing creations, rivalling even the ever-popular Requiem in grandeur.
Photo © Ars Nova Copenhagen Jeppe Bjoern
Sponsor Gulbenkian Music
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation reserves the right to collect and keep records of images, sounds and voice for the diffusion and preservation of the memory of its cultural and artistic activity. For further information, please contact us through the Information Request form.