About Us
CANTORES MINORES
The Warsaw Archdiocesan Cathedral Boys’ and Men’s Choir
Cantores Minores was founded 20 years ago by its present conductor, Joseph A. Herter, with the help of two parents, Ryszard Gieros and Alfred Stefankiewicz. The choir gave its first concert at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Warsaw on St. Cecilia’s Day, November 22, 1990, singing, among other works, Benjamin Britten’s Missa Brevis in D. For the past 19 years it has been affiliated with the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw's Old Town.
Since its founding, the choir has concertized in 20 countries, including Canada, Mexico and the USA; taken part in 32 festivals both in Poland and abroad. It has performed with such prestigious ensembles as the Warsaw National Philharmonic and Sinfonia Varsovia, and appeared with the philharmonic orchestras of Lublin, Kielce, Olsztyn and Szczecin. Its foreign appearances with orchestra include the following: The Academy of the London Mozarteum in England, Orchestre des pays de la Loire in France, Berliner Symphoniker, Orchestra di Harmonia Gentium in Lecco, Italy, Johann-Strauss-Orchester of Frankfurt, as well as the Slovenská filharmónia of Bratislava. The ensemble has also taken part in Warsaw theatrical productions such as Bizet’s Carmen at the ROMA Music Theater and at the Teatr Polski and the Teatr Wielki (National Opera) of Warsaw. The choir has won top prizes in choral competitions in Moscow (2000) and Lecco, Italy (1997), Prague (2002, ’03, ’04) and Międzydroje (2004).
A concert at the Vatican's Sala Nervi televised by Rai Uno and broadcast live by Eurovision throughout Europe - including Poland - attracted international attention in the media. In December 2008, the choir performed an all-Berlioz program with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in Strasbourg for the European Parliament along with eight other choirs. The concert was broadcast live and retransmitted several times to 39 countries by the French cable station MEZZO.
The Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir Cantores Minores has had the honor of giving the Polish premieres of major choral works by such composers as: Krzesimir Dębski, Jacek Grudzień, Piotr Moss, Roxana Panufnik and Zygmunt Stojowski. In February 2009, the choir presented the world premiere of Missa ‘Adeste fideles’ (1943) by the late Neo-Romantic American composer Vittorio Giannini. The choir sings for the 11:00 a.m. mass at St. John Cathedral every fourth Sunday of the month as well as for the major Church holydays.
In April 2010, the choir sang during the wake for President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria as well as for the funeral Mass of President Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last president of the Polish Government-in-Exile. All of them perished in the tragic air crash in Smolensk, Russia.
To celebrate its 20th and the Szczecin Nightingales 50th anniversaries the choir has commissioned a work entitled Alleluia for mixed chorus and orchestra from Polish composer Piotr Moss. The world premiere will take place in Szczecin on December 3 with the two choirs joining forces with the Szczecin Polytechnic University Choir and the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra, Joseph Herter conducting.
Cantores Minores is member of the Polish Union of Choruses and Orchestras and is also a charter member of the Polish chapter of Pueri Cantores, an international federation of church children’s choirs.
