Photo by Marshall Bessieres
Florilegium is a 30-voice chamber choir comprising highly trained avocational and professional musicians dedicated to the highest level of performance. Our repertoire covers all eras of Western music, from pre-Renaissance to the newly commissioned, sung in original languages. Florilegium has commissioned and premiered more than thirty compositions, including works by Hayes Biggs, Nancy Chance, Donald Grantham, Walter Hilse, Hugo Weisgall, Judith Lang Zaimont and Reiko Füting.
Founded by JoAnn Rice in 1976, the Choir has been the featured guest of other New York City ensembles including Continuum, the Gregg Smith Singers, the American Composers Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Under the baton of JoAnn Rice, the group has performed in major New York venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
The name Florilegium means “a collection of the best blossoms.” In 1618, Erhard Bodenschatz published a collection of stile antico motets entitled Florilegium Portense. J.S. Bach was known to have a copy of this volume.