Ars Cantandi

Wroclaw University

of Economics Choir

The Wroclaw University of Economics “Ars Cantandi” Choir started its activity in December 2004. Most of its participants are students and graduates of Wroclaw University of Economics – people who love singing and music.

The choir participates in ceremonies at Economic University and in special events around Wroclaw and Lower Silesia academic scene. Ars Cantandi regularly participates in Lower Silesian festivals and concerts.

The Choir Ars Cantandi offers broad musical themes in its performance venue. Repertoire includes music of domestic and foreign composers from various ages with religious and secular themes. The ensemble performs many kinds of music – classical as well as gospel and pop music. Semiannually members of the choir participate in musical workshops.

In October 2005 Ars Cantanti performed an opening concert at The Musical Meetings in Walbrzych “A tribute to John Paul II” – series of concerts organized under patronage of the President of Walbrzych City and Bishop of Swidnica.

In October 2006 Ars Cantandi was honored to perform during the ceremony of unveiling John Paul II’s plaque and bestowing Doctor Honoris Causa title to Prof. Leszek Balcerowicz by The Wroclaw University of Economics.

In April 2007 choir gave concerts in Italy. Ars Cantandi sang in Assisi and Rome for the Poland's Ambassador to the Holy See - Hanna Suchocka and during holy mass on the occasion of 15th anniversary of Roman Catholic Diocese of Legnica.

Ars Cantandi also participated in Xth International Festival "Wełyka Koliada " ("Great Carol") in Orthodox St Eucharist Church in Lvov (February 2008) as well as IIIrd International Students  Choir Forum "Paparats Kvetka" ("Fern Flower"), organized by Belarusian State University (May 2008 and 2012).

In June 2009 choir took part in the word primary performance of “Kantata Tumska” by Francesco Bottigliero and in the first performance of “Magnificat” by Grazyna Pstrokonska-Nawrati.

The choir cooperated with Wrocław choirs and choirmasters in the performance of large vocal-instrumental forms. Ars Cantandi participated in performance of Nieszpory Ludzmierskie by Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz (2011), Requiem for My Friend by Zbigniew Preisner (2011), Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez (2014) and Oratorio de Noël by Camile Saint-Saëns.

The choir also participated in the events of the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw 2016. In the first views of the program of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 Ars Cantandi participated in concert with Andrea Bocelli. In addition, Ars Cantandi performed at the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture in Awakening show, participated in the show FLOW, Spanish Night with Carmen - Zarzuela Show, and in the show SKY. Ars Cantandi was also invited to perform the song "Song for the unification of Europe" by Zbigniew Preisner on European Film Awards 2016 Ceremony on December 10^th 2016 at the National Forum of Music in Wroclaw.

In recent years, the choir has been steadily expanding its repertoire to include oratorio and stage forms: it has repeatedly taken part in Wrocław Opera's super-performances (Faust, Nabucco, Traviata). The ensemble also engages in commercial projects for audiences of thousands, such as the Carmina Burana show at the ICE Krakow Congress Center, the concert with Sarah Brigman at Warsaw's COS Torwar, the 'Concert to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Zbigniew Preisner's Artistic Work' at Tauron Arena Krakow, and film music concerts.

An important part of the choir's activities are charity initiatives. The group regularly engages in actions and collections often combined with artistic projects and concerts: "Solidarity with Ukraine", #hot16challenge combined with a collection for the Health Service, "Noble Parcel", concerts for the Hospice of Fr. Bonifraters in Wroclaw or the Foundation "To the rescue of children with cancer" in Wroclaw.

Ars Cantandi regularly participates in national and international choir competitions: in Greece (Preveza 2010), Czech Republic (Olomouc 2013), Macedonia (Ohrid 2015), Italy (Rimini 2014 ), Germany (Wernigerode 2015), Spain (Lloret de Mar 2016),  Romania (Baia Mare 2017) Italy (Venice 2019) wining of gold, silver and bronze medals as well and first place and special prizes.

Choir's successes are:

• 1st prize in The 13th Carols Choral Festival in Bedzin, 2007
• 1st prize in The 10th Choral Festival in Lodz "Cantio Lodziensis", 2007
• 2nd prize in The Choir Competition "Legnica Cantat", 2008
• 1st prize in The 2nd Venceslaus Samotulinus (Waclaw z Szamotul) Choir Competition, 2008
• Golden dilpoma and Special Award from Polish Radio of Pomerania and Kuyavia in the IVth Passion Song Competition in Bydgoszcz, 2009
• Grand Prix in The VIIth  Choir Competition in Brodnica, 2010.
• Grand Prix in IXth International Felix Nowowiejski Choral Music Festival
• Bronze medal in the category of mixed choirs, and bronze medal in the category of chamber ensembles in the 28th International Choral Festival of Preveza by Choral Society 'Armonia' of Preveza Preveza, Epirus - Greece
• Golden dilpoma and Special Award from Kujawy And Pomorze University in Bydgoszcz in the Vth Passion Song Competition in Bydgoszcz, 2011
• Special award for the performance of a contemporary work (Eli, Eli by A. Tucapsky) in VII th PAPARATS KVETKA International Student Choir Forum, Minsk, Belarus, 2012
• 1st prize in the category of mixed choirs at the XXI Festival of "Carols" in Myślenice, January 2013
• Gold medals in the category of sacred music and spiritual, gospel, pop category in 41st Festival of Songs Olomouc 2013, Czech Republic, June 2013
• 1st prize in the Ohrid Choir Festival in Macedonia (Ohrid), August 2013
• 1st prize in the mixed choirs category and the award for the distinctive conductor on Vratislavia Sacra Festival in Wroclaw, Poland, April 2014
• Silver Diploma in the category of Mixed Voice in Rimini International Choral Competition, August 2014
• 2nd Prize in the category of mixed choirs and second prize in the category of chamber ensembles in XXIV Festival of "Carols", Myslenice, January 2015
• Golden Band in the category of mixed choirs in the II International Passion Music Festival, Szczecin in March 2015
• 3 Golden Diplomas in the following categories: mixed choirs, pop music, religious music at the Johannes Brahms International Festival   in Wernigerode, Germany, July 2015
• Golden Diploma and 1st Prize in the category of sacred music and Golden Diploma and 2nd  Prize in the category of folk music at 7TH International Choir Festival and Competition „Canco Mediterrania”, Barcelona, Lloret de Mar, September 2016
• Golden Diploma, Golden Maedal, Best Conductor Award (Nagroda Oddziału Gdańskiego Polskiego Związku Chórów i Orkiestr dla wyróżniającego się dyrygenta) in the 6th INTERNATIONAL GDANSK CHOIR FESTIVAL, March 2017
• Silver diploma and second place in Liviu Borlan International Choir Competition, Baia Mare, Romania, September 2017
• 2nd Prize in XXXVIII International Festival of Orthodox Church Music „Hajnówka 2018” in Białystok, Poland May 2018
• Golden Kliros and an Award for the best performance of a Polish composer's piece in the IInd Oleśnica Festival of Slavic Sacred Music "Głagolica", June 2018
• Ist Prize on Ohrid Choir Festival, Macedonia, August 2018
• Golden diploma and Ist place in the category of mixed choirs, award for the best performance of the piece of the Bydgoszcz composer - "In Te Domine Speravi" by Łukasz Urbaniak, special award from the Head of the Department of Music Education,  Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Akademy of Muzyczna in Łódź during the Second Choral Competition Musica in Urbe, Bydgoszcz, April 2019
• Gold diploma at the IX International Festival and Choral Competition "Per Musicam ad Astra" in Toruń, June 2022
• Grand Prix, two gold diplomas, the main prize - the Amber Aureola of St. Peter the Apostle in the Musica Sacra category and the award of the Mayor of the City at the 57th International Festival of Choral Song in Międzyzdroje, June 2022, and a nomination to participate in the Stefan Stuligrosz Grand Prix of Polish Choral Music Competition in Poznań in November 2022
• Golden Diploma at the International Youth Music Festival in Bratislava, July 2023.

The Choir Ars Cantandi offers broad musical themes in its performance venue. Repertoire includes music of domestic and foreign composers from various ages with religious and secular themes. The ensemble performs many kinds of music – classical as well as gospel and pop music. Semiannually members of the choir participate in musical workshops.