A new season is underway for Rozenkoor, Amsterdam's LHBTIQ+ theatre choir founded in 1992, marked by a change in leadership. After seven years, the choir has bid farewell to conductor Marlien Smetana, with Mexican-born conductor Patricio Amezcua Zilli now taking the baton.
With rehearsals having started on August 30, the choir is now actively recruiting new members to join its ranks, with a particular call for tenors and basses of all gender identities (m/v/x). The start of the season presents an ideal moment for new singers to get involved as the group begins work on a new programme.
The new show, titled 'Paradijs', will feature the choir's characteristically eclectic repertoire. The setlist includes music from artists as varied as Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, and Bill Withers, alongside classical pieces from Kurt Weill and Bizet. As a theatre choir, Rozenkoor focuses on performance and staging, not just vocals, with songs performed in a multitude of languages including Dutch, French, English, Greek, and Zulu.
In June the choir took part in the international Various Voices LHBTI+ choir festival in Brussels, one of 120 choirs, and performed a preview of the 'Paradijs' programme. A condensed version of the show is scheduled for a performance in Amsterdam on 13 December 2026, with the full production planned for the spring of 2027.
Join the Choir
Prospective members are invited to attend open rehearsals on Sunday, 13 and 20 September. Newcomers can sit in on up to three rehearsals free of charge to experience the atmosphere before deciding to join.
- What: Open rehearsals for new members (especially tenors and basses m/v/x).
- When: Sundays, 19:30 – 21:30. Next open dates are 13 & 20 September.
- Where: BSVAZ, Gaaspstraat 8, Amsterdam Zuid.
- Contact: For more information, email info@rozenkoor.nl.
- Website: rozenkoor.nl
