The Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) Choir

The Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) Choir was founded in 1941 for the needs of the radio programme at the time. Working first as a chamber ensemble, with time, it grew into the first large professional choir in Croatia. From its very beginnings, the HRT Choir (which has carried this name since 1991) has performed both independently and alongside the HRT Symphony Orchestra. 

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The choir’s first independent public concert was held on 30 January 1943 at the Croatian Music Institute, where it was often joined by an orchestra in the cycle of public concerts. In its first years of work, the repertoire of the choir was shaped by conductors Mladen Pozajić, Dragan Gürtl, and Boris Papandopulo, and their path was continued by chief conductors Sergije Rainis, Vladimir Kranjčević, and Igor Kuljerić – whose creativity and years of leadership left a powerful mark and whose compositions have become a permanent part of the choir’s repertoire – as well as Tonči Bilić. It was at Tonči Bilić’s urgings that the independent subscription cycle Sfumato  was initiated, which included premieres of numerous compositions by Croatian authors and an anthological choir opus of world heritage. Also at Maestro Bilić’s initiative, the HRT Choir was granted membership in Tenso, Europe’s most noted chamber choir organisation, in 2016.

Performing a wide repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to modern music and a cappella, and with instrumental accompaniment, the choir displays its exceptional versatility, which has won it guest appearances across Europe (Rome, Moscow, Salzburg, Milan, Paris, Venice, Berlin, Vienna, Munich) and cooperation with a series of exceptional conductors, including Lovro von Matačić, Milan Horvat, Pavle Dešpalj, Nikša Bareza, Vladimir Kranjčević, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Igor Markevitch, Valery Polyansky, Niels Schweckendiek, Martina Batič, Marc Korovich, Kaspars Putniņš, Daniel Reuss, Stefan Parkman, and many world-class soloists.

The HRT Choir received a Milka Trnina  Diploma from the Croatian Association of Musical Artists for its exceptional artistic achievements in 2004 on the basis of its performance of Boris Papandopulo’s Croatian Mass.

The Choir’s discography includes lauded and award-winning releases, such as the recently published operas Love and Malice  and Porin  by Vatroslav Lisinski and Nikola Šubić Zrinjski  Iby Ivan Zajc, albums Myrrh, Gold, Frankincense, Vatroslav Lisinski: Choruses and Songs, The Heaven and Earth of Tomaso Cecchini, Boris Papandopulo: Croatian Mass as well as the albums Igor Kuljerić: Kanconijer (2023) and Boris Papandopulo: Slavoslovije (2023) together with HRT Symphony Orchestra. This is joined by releases in the Ligatura edition (HRT & HDS/Cantus): Srećko Bradić and Frano Parać: Carmina Krležiana & Missa Maruliana.