Conductor Michel Corboz was born in Marsens, Switzerland on February 14, 1934. He is best known for his dedication to focusing his repertoire on four centuries of choral music. He attended École Normale in Fribourg, Switzerland where he studied vocal performance and composition. It was during this time that he became interested in conducting. In Lausanne, he became the director of church music in 1953, which lead to his interest in choruses and a cappella. He founded the Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne in 1961 and began touring extensively and signing a deal with the Erato label. His catalog is comprised of over 100 releases including Monteverdi: Orfeo (1967), Bach: Messe en Si Mineur BWV 232 (1970), Puccini: Messa Di Gloria (Pour Soli, Chœur Et Orchestre) (1974), Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem (1987), Festival Michel Corboz 1995, and Gounod: Requiem & Messe Chorale (2011). In 1969, he led the Gulbenkian Chorus in Lisbon, Portugal, with whom he also recorded several albums. Michel Corboz was honored with many awards including France’s esteemed Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, The Great Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique (Portugal/1999), and the Prize of Critics (1995 and 1996/Argentina). Michel Corboz died on September 2, 2021, at the age of 87.
