La Verdi’s Symphonic Chorus of Milan was founded in 1998 by Romano Gandolfi, a very sensitive Chorus Master who gave all the voices special nuances and colors. It is formed by a hundred members performing a wide range of music works, starting from a symphonic repertoire to chamber and polyphonic, from Baroque to the Twentieth century modern music. The Chorus usually sings with the Symphonic Orchestra of Milano Giuseppe Verdi but also performs with other international symphonic groups.
Its first concert conducted by Riccardo Chailly on October 8th, 1998, was highly successful, attracting a large audience and critical acclaim: Four Sacred Pieces by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Chorus faced some of the most famous pieces from opera and concert repertoire, such as Haydn's Die Jahreszeiten conducted by Adam Fischer, Die Schöpfung, conducted by Claus Peter Flor, as well as Brahms' Ein Ddeutsches Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Simphony.
With Riccardo Chailly, it also performed Mahler's Second and Third Symphonies, Stravinskij's Oedipus Rex, Bach's Johannespassion and Matthauspassion, Puccini's Suor Angelica (concert form), Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Rossini's Stabat Mater and Verdi's Requiem Mass in its home Auditorium.
In 2001 in Ferrara, Parma and Bolzano, the Chorus performed in Giuseppe Verdi's Simon Boccanegra conducted by Claudio Abbado. In 2002 at the Spoleto Festival the Chorus went on stage with Verdi's Macbeth conducted by Riccardo Frizza, Verdi's Requiem Mass conducted by Riccardo Chailly, and the final concert in Piazza Duomo (on Eurovision), with Stravinskij's Symphony of Psalms and Puccini's Messa di Gloria, under the baton of Richard Hickox.
In 2004 it took part at the "Città di Castello” festival which was broadcasted live on Radio 3, performing Rossini's Petite Messe Solemnelle with Romano Gandolfi. In the same year at “Bergamo and Brescia Festival” the Chorus sang Verdi's Requiem Mass conducted by Chailly.
In 2005 the Chorus also presented Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Stéphane Dénève at the Cortona Festival. Furthermore, it was invited by Leipzig Opera to sing Verdi's Requiem Mass jointly with its Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly.
Between 2003 and 2005 the Chorus, with Verdi’s Synphonic Orchestra, went on tour in Italy and abroad performing Verdi's Requiem Mass directed by Riccardo Chailly at NHK Hall in Tokyo, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Konzerthaus in Vienna, National Concert Hall in Budapest and Sala Rondò in Pontresina (Switzerland) for St: Moritz Festival with Romano Gandolfi.