The International Choir Festival, showcasing a prestigious history, continues the tradition of choral singing in Cuba, begun by the important Cuban composer Esteban Salas in the 18th century.

The Festival’s history dates back to the first National Choral Festival held in 1961. The Festival was conceived by Maestro Electo Silva (dean of Cuban choral conductors and director of the Orfeón Santiago) and takes place in the province of Santiago de Cuba every two years. It is organized by the Miguel Matamoros Provincial Music Center.

Prestigious choral groups from our country participate in the event, such as the Schola Cantorum Coralina, the Entrevoces Choir, the Santiago Orfeón, the Vocal Leo Female Octet, and the Havana Polyphonic Choir. During the event, concerts, workshops, and lectures on the relevance and importance of choral music are held.

The closing ceremony is always held in a popular way with the Choral Rounds, as the event participants join the communities and neighborhoods, from there marching through the streets, singing toward Céspedes Park, the heart of the city center.

In 2009, the 28th edition of the International Choir Festival was dedicated to Maestros Roberto Valera and Leo Brower on their 70th birthdays, as well as to the bolero as a genre. Sixteen polyphonic groups, both national and international, participated, with representatives from Norway, England, and the United States, sharing the stage at the Sala Dolores (Aguilera and Reloj Streets, Santiago de Cuba) and the Esteban Salas Conservatory (Santa Lucia No. 304 between San Félix and San Pedro, Santiago de Cuba).

At Cuba’s most important International Choir Festival, moments of true spiritual joy are experienced by the people of Santiago, which demonstrates why Santiago is named the Choral Capital of Cuba, a territory where melodies flourish with great force in children’s songs.