Since its foundation in 1987, the Namur Chamber Choir has been committed to promoting the musical heritage of its native region (Lassus, Arcadelt, Rogier, Du Mont, Gossec, Grétry…) while also performing major works from the choral repertoire.

A regular guest at Europe’s most prestigious festivals, the choir has worked under the baton of conductors such as Peter Phillips, Christophe Rousset, René Jacobs, Alexis Kossenko, Julien Chauvin, Reinoud Van Mechelen, Gergely Madaras, among others.

Its discography includes numerous recordings that have been highly acclaimed by the critics (nominations at the Victoires de la Musique Classique, Choc de Classica, Diapason d’Or, Joker from Crescendo, Télérama’s 4F, Editor’s Choice from Gramophone, ICMA, Prix Caecilia from the Belgian press…). The Namur Chamber Choir was also awarded the Grand Prix of the Académie Charles Cros in 2003, the Prize of the Académie Française in 2006, and the Octave de la Musique in 2007 and 2012 in the “Classical Music” and “Performance of the Year” categories.

In 2010, the artistic direction of the Namur Chamber Choir was entrusted to Argentinian conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón. In 2016, the choir took part in its first staged production at the Paris Opera (Eliogabalo de Cavalli). In 2017, it featured in Dido and Aeneas by Purcell at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège, under the direction of Guy Van Waas.

The 2017–2018 season marked the choir’s 30th anniversary. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in 2017 was the first highlight of this celebration, touring throughout Europe and South America. In 2018, further highlights included productions of Lully’s Grands Motets, Veneziano’s Passio del Venerdì Santo, masses and motets by Jacques Arcadelt, and Haendel’s oratorio Samson, all conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón, and accompanied by television broadcasts and CD recordings.

In 2019, the Namur Chamber Choir added Haendel’s Saül to its repertoire in Namur and Beaune, Lully’s Isis in Beaune, Paris and Versailles, and Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes at the Paris Opera. It also premiered a new work by Belgian composer Michel Fourgon, Goethes-Fragmente.

From 2020 to 2024, the choir continued its journey through Haendel’s great choral works (The Messiah and Jephtha with Christophe Rousset, Semele, Solomon, Theodora with Leonardo García-Alarcón), explored a varied repertoire with its artistic director (Bach’s St Matthew Passion, St John Passion and secular cantatas, Monteverdi’s Vespers and Orfeo, La Jérusalem délivrée by Le Régent…), and expanded into new genres such as operetta (La Vie Parisienne by Jacques Offenbach at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées). The choir has also continued its special collaborations with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques (Thésée and Atys by Lully, Bach’s St Matthew Passion), Julien Chauvin and Le Concert de la Loge (Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Creation), Reinoud Van Mechelen and A Nocte Temporis (Acis and Galatea by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Bach’s St John Passion), and has initiated new partnerships with Alexis Kossenko and Les Ambassadeurs (Zoroastre by Rameau, *Carnaval du Parnasse by Mondonville, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor), as well as René Jacobs and the B’Rock Orchestra (Carmen by Bizet).

The choir’s repertoire is remarkably broad, ranging from the Middle Ages to contemporary music.

In 2023, the Namur Chamber Choir performed at the Festival with Pasion Argentina, composed and conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón alongside the ensemble Cappella Mediterranea.