Hungarian and French Choral Music - Ars Nova Sacra Vocal Ensemble

The Ars Nova Sacra Vocal Ensemble was founded in 2005 under the direction of physicians Dénes Répássy and Gábor Répássy. Its origins, however, reach back to the 1980s, when a group of enthusiastic and accomplished singers came together to perform Guillaume de Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame, a work that was little known in Hungary at the time.

For its Brussels concert at the Liszt Institute, Ars Nova Sacra presents a programme centred on Hungarian choral music, with works by Zoltán Kodály, Ferenc Liszt, Béla Bartók and Béla Bárdos, complemented by the French Renaissance composer Pierre Certon. The programme reflects the ensemble’s interest in connecting different periods and traditions while highlighting the particular richness of Hungarian vocal music.

Through its performances, Ars Nova Sacra seeks to create an intimate musical experience in which artistic quality, discovery and the human voice are at the centre. Its Brussels appearance offers an opportunity to encounter the distinctive sound and musical world of a Hungarian chamber choir whose members combine professional dedication with a deep personal commitment to choral music.

The ensemble’s name was inspired by Machaut (c. 1300–1377), whose period gave its name to the musical era known as Ars Nova. The addition of Sacra refers to the ensemble’s strong connection to sacred music, which has remained an important part of its artistic identity.

The members of Ars Nova Sacra are professionals and intellectuals from a variety of fields who pursue choral singing alongside their careers. They are united by a commitment to high artistic standards and by a shared passion for discovering and performing exceptional choral repertoire.

A particular focus of the ensemble is the performance of rarely heard or virtually unknown works, offering audiences the opportunity to encounter music that seldom appears in concert programmes. At the same time, Ars Nova Sacra approaches well-known works from a distinctive perspective, performing them within the intimate framework of a chamber choir and exploring the subtle colours and expressive possibilities of a refined ensemble sound.