Lirica

The children and youth choir LIRICA from Belgium was founded in 1972. Its primary aim was to brighten the weekly mass in the parish church of Bret in Genk and it continues to attend two church services a month as well as singing at weddings, funerals and celebrations. Under the direction of its present conductor, Jos Venken, the choir has developed into a highly appreciated concert choir obtaining prestigious prizes such as the first prize summa cum laude in the European Music Festival for Young People in Neerpelt. The choir has performed twice in the Royal Palace in Brussels, has toured most European countries and also visited Japan. In 2002 Lirica won the first prize in the Youth Choirs at the Flemish Competition “Choir of the Year” and three golden diplomas in the choir competition at Bad Ischl, Austria.

Jos Venken

Jos Venken was born in Lanklaar in 1942. He obtained the gold medal for violin and chamber music at the town conservatory of Hasselt in 1964 and studied singing at the Music Academy of Maasmechelen in 1986. Mr. Venken became the conductor of Lirica in 1984 and later established the chamber choir Incantatio. He is a member of the ‘Artistic Committee of the International Choir Contest of Flanders – Maasmechelen’.