Collegium Musicum Jaurinense

The Jesuits in Győr were the intiators behind the foundation of Chorus Colegii Jaurini SJ back in 1628. During the centuries that followed, it occupied an essential role int he musicual life within the city of Győr.The choir was led by famous conductors and composers such as Valentin Rathgeber (1682-1750) or Benedek Istvánffy (1733-1778). However, the choir ceased to work after the Jesuit order had been dissolved in 1773. In the 19^th and 20^th centuries we can both find flourishing and more modest decades. The Ensemble was re-established under the name Collegium Musicum Jaurinense in September 2002. It was formed from the students of the Gergely Czuczor Benedictine Borading School working under the guidance of the founder Áron Kelemen and his mentor Tamás Bubnó. In the beginning their repertoire consisted of Gregorian chants and early polyphonic pieces. Since 2007 their repertoire has grown, dominantly consisting of compositions from the 17th century, and thus continuing the almost 400-year-old tradition of the boarding school founded by Jesuits. Gabor Soos organist joined the choir in 2007, and the orchestra of the choir in 2008. The choir has had 30 TV-appearances, and has given 20 concerts abroad (Venice - Italy, Barcelona and Montserrat - Spain, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo – Brazil) and 15 in Hungary (Győr, Budapest). The Collegium Musicum is also in the charge of the music of the liturgial services of the Benedictine Church. At present, the choir has 80 members: 5 teachers and 75 students who study at the Boarding School. In their repertoire, beside the Gregorian chants, the liturgical and ecclesiastical pieces of Monteverdi and Carissimi also play an important role: they regurarly sing Carrissimi’s oratorios. The Collegium Musicum Jaurinense is the only choir in today’s Hungary that can be claimed to be the successor of all boychoirs and church chamber orchestras of Hungary from the period of the 17th century - 1948, and also the one continuing the 400-year-old tradition of the Czuczor Gergely Benedictine Boarding School and the Saint Ignatius Benedictine Church.