Schola Cantorum Coralina, a mixed choral group founded by its director Alina Orraca Llama, who had the support of the Pablo Milanés Foundation at the time, in September 1993. Its debut took place at the Covarrubias Hall of the National Theatre of Cuba (Paseo Street and 39, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana) in December of that same year.

This choir is made up of more than a dozen members, including educators, students, and choral music enthusiasts, as well as its director.

Among this group’s work, the so-called Cantorías de Coralina (Church of Coralina) stands out, a hard work they have been carrying out since its founding and directed by Professor Orraca. This project consists of choral work with children. The Children and Youth Choir, created in 2003, brings together children and adolescents between six and fourteen years of age, who are selected for their musical abilities from among the Cantorías attendees.

As part of a UNESCO project, the members of the Schola Cantorum Coralina provide meticulous attention to children’s choirs in Havana City. They have a total of eleven children’s choir groups, made up of children between the ages of three and fifteen.

Among the contributions of Schola Cantorum Coralina to Cuban music, we find that from this work, a vast National Movement of Children’s Songs developed in Cuba, contributing to the expansion of choral music.

Another of the Schola Cantorum Coralina’s tasks is to offer specialized courses in vocal techniques and musical styles. For these courses, they organize workshops and postgraduate courses in collaboration with the Instituto Superior de Arte (1110 Calle 120 between 9th and 13th, Cubanacán, Playa, Havana) in Havana. These courses are taught by directors from other countries, with the firm objective of developing both its members and the local professors who teach this specialty.

In 1998, the Mass presided over by His Holiness John Paul II was celebrated in the Plaza de la Revolución José Martí located in Havana, in which the Schola Cantorum Coralina intervened. They also made a display of their presence at the Celebration of the Liturgy of the Word in the Cathedral of Havana (Empedrado No. 156, Old Havana, Havana), presided over by the Supreme Pontiff.

This year, they performed as the main choir at the Pope’s public audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican; they also participated in the Corpus Christi Mass presided over by His Holiness in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

The Schola Cantorum Coralina has a broad and diverse repertoire, comprising both Cuban and foreign pieces from a variety of musical styles, including sacred music, popular and folk music, and Cuban, Latin American, and universal choral music. They also perform symphonic and choral works from all periods. Among the latter, we can mention: Gustav Mahler’s Third and Eighth Symphonies, John Rutter’s Magnificat, Bach’s Magnificat, Anton Bruckner’s Psalm 150, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, G. Rossini’s Petite Messe Solemnelle, Berliotz’s Requiem, Frank Schubert’s Hallelujah and Domine non sum dignus, and Handel’s Messiah, among others.

He has participated in various record productions, among which the following stand out, to name a few: the song “Todavía” for the CD “Toma esta flor” (EGREM 2000); the CD “El ilustrado Caballero de París” by singer-songwriter Gerardo Alfonso (2001); the song “Areniyeo” by Roberto Valera with the poem “Caridá” by Marcelino Arozarena performed by maestro Carbonell, for the CD “La Rumba Soy Yo” Vol. II (BisMusic 2004).

He has shared the stage with important groups, soloists, and conductors. These include the National Symphony Orchestra, the Diapasón String Quintet, the Alejo Carpentier Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Camerata Romeu. Bárbara Llanes (soprano) and Rafael Hernández (baritone). Iván del Prado (Cuban), Jean Paul Penin (French), Leo Brouwer (Cuban), Enrique Barrios (Mexican), and Stefanos Tsialis (Greek).

Famous popular singers have been accompanied by this choir such as: Augusto Enríquez, Amaury Pérez, Anabel López, Pedrito Calvo, Argelia Fragoso, Carlos Varela, Danny Rivera, Jorge Luis Rojas “Rojitas”, Sexto Sentido, Cubanitos 20-02 and Sampling.

He has also performed with Cuban and international peer groups: the Exaudi Choir (Cuban); the Eaton College Choir (British); the University of Lethbridge Youth Choir; and the Schola Cantorum Cantate Domino Choir from Belgium, among others.

The music performed by this choir is featured in the soundtrack of Cuban films by important directors: “Right of Asylum” directed by Octavio Cortázar (1994), “Until Victory Always” by director Juan Carlos Desanzo and music by Frank Fernández (1997), “KleinesTropicana” by Rolando Díaz and music by Edesio Alejandro.

The Schola Cantorum Coralina of maestro Alina Orraca has given numerous concerts and performances in major national and international concert halls, at various events, competitions, conferences, exhibitions, fairs, and festivals. These include the International Choir Festival in Santiago de Cuba; the Cubadisco Festival; the La Fábrica del Canto Festival in Italy; the Los Clásicos de Verano Festival in Spain; the Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina International Sacred Music Festival in Rome; the America Cantat Festival; and the International Choral Festival in Ecuador.

Countries from diverse regions of the world, including Italy, France, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, Ecuador, Brazil, and Chile, have been able to enjoy the magnificent performances and high level of interpretation that characterize this Cuban choir.

Coralina’s first music video, for the song “Venga la esperanza,” was selected as Best Video of the Year at the 2003 Cubadisco Festival, and she also received other awards and nominations in other competitions.

The Schola Cantorum Coralina’s discography includes six productions, including the CD, Cánteme, in which they perform songs by the brilliant Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, under the Unicornio label.

The Schola Cantorum Coralina is considered by specialists to be a heritage of Cuban choral music and is currently recognized as one of the most important choral groups in the field of Cuban music.

The Schola Cantorum Coralina is a Cuban choral group that has been awarded several important prizes: Third Prize for Habanera at the 18th Habaneras and Polyphonies Competition in Torrevieja, Spain (1999); Second Prize at the 18th Villa de Avilés International Choral Competition, Spain (2001); Five Prizes at the 36th Tolosa International Choral Competition, Basque Country (2004); Three Prizes at the 7th Trelew International Choral Competition, Argentina (2005); Prize for Best Performance of Venezuelan Popular Music at the 8th International D´Canto Festival, Margarita Island, Venezuela (2005); Five Prizes at the 234th Guido d´Arezzo International Polyphonic Competition (2006); First Prize for Venezuelan Madrigal, mixed voices, at the 10th International D’CANTO Festival, Margarita Island, Venezuela (2007).

Discography: Coralina (1996), Songs from the Pope’s Mass in Havana (1998), Coralina for a while (1998), Sing to me (2001), In what sung way (2003), Eternally in me (2006).