A rich history
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The Weerter Mixed Choir “Vivace” was founded in 1970 as a result from a merger between two choirs, the women’s choir Vivace and the men’s choir St. Gregory in Weert. The now secular choir achieves a high level of quality. Continuous education and an ambitious repertoire, regular workshops and intensive rehearsals ensure that the high level is maintained.
Through international concert tours and regular cooperation with (often foreign) choirs Vivace is well known and appreciated in music circles and enjoys a good reputation. Throughout the years the choir has become one of the best choirs in Weert and the surrounding regions. The fact that Vivace won several honourable prices in choral competitions underlines the quality. In the Limburg Choir Festival Vivace achieved the first prize in the category large mixed choirs.
In addition to numerous concerts in the Netherlands Vivace gives regular concerts abroad. Day trips, weekends and longer concert tours have already been undertaken, including to the Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Austria, USA (Florida), Italy and Spain. The choir sang in many famous churches and cathedrals, with as an undisputed highlight a concert in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome.
A professional conductor and a professional accompanying pianist are committed to the choir. The choir rehearses weekly on Tuesday evening in Weert.
Our conductor
Ron Hanssen was born in Rimburg where he learned playing the saxophone. He studied piano, hearing and solfège at the Maastricht Conservatory. In 1998 he graduated in choir conducting at the Gorinchem University of Applied Sciences. In addition, he followed various specializations and courses in the field of singing, pop music and choir conducting. Ron took singing lessons from Ger Withag, Jo Schulte, Hebe Dijkstra and Jan Alofs. As a singer he collaborated in the Mozart Opera Die Zauberflöte in the role of Papageno in 2007. In 1996 he won the title Limburg choir of the year with the Vivente choir from Venlo. In 1999 Vivente performed the Stabat Mater by J. Haydn in theatre the Maaspoort in Venlo, accompanied by the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. With Vocalgroup Hebbus! he achieved the highest number of points in the A-division of the Limburg Choir Festival in 2003. In addition to being the conductor of WGK Vivace, Ron is currently the conductor of Parkinsonchoir Roermond, the Male choir Aodemnoët, Venray’s Male choir, Vocalgroup Transparant and the Meriko Choir in Meterik. In 2022, 2023 and 2024 he was the musical director of “Singing in France” (www.zingeninfrankrijk.org) .