Our History

Since 1966, sixty years of voices from the Valtellina

The Origins

The letter that brought the first singers together in the autumn of 1966.

The Origins

The founding document

Tirano, 3 November 1966

Dear Sir,

We are writing to let you know that a group of friends who love singing, and folk and mountain songs in particular, have decided to start a «choir» in our town too.

You have been mentioned to us as someone with a fine voice, a good ear and real enthusiasm, so we would like to invite you to the choir's first rehearsal on Monday 7 November at 9 p.m., in a room at the Oratorio that has kindly been lent to us.

This and the following weeks' rehearsals will be led by maestro Siro Mauro, conductor of the «Vetta» choir of Ponte, who is already well regarded beyond our valley.

We hope to see you on Monday and on the evenings we will agree together. With goodwill on all sides, we can achieve what we and you hope for, to everyone's satisfaction.

See you there!

The founders of the «Monti Verdi» choir

Sixty years on from that autumn evening in 1966, the love of singing and the wish to do it well are just as strong.

Photo gallery

Images through the years

From the 1967 photograph at the Ventina hut to the choir’s most recent get-togethers.

1967
Ventina hut, 1967 – one of the earliest photos of the choir

1967
Ventina hut, 1967 – the choir in front of the hut

The Directors

The directors over time

Four conductors have shaped the sound of the choir since it was founded.

Siro Mauro
1966 – 1988
Born in Ponte in Valtellina on 8 December 1927, a primary-school teacher and musician. Organist at the parish church of San Maurizio and founder of the “Vetta” choir in 1961, he was the first conductor of the Coro Monti Verdi, leading it for twenty-two years from the choir’s founding until 1988. He also conducted the Coro CAI di Sondrio and collaborated with many choral groups across the valley. A Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1972) and honorary citizen of Sondrio (1997), he passed away on 10 October 2001, leaving a deep mark on the choral tradition of the Valtellina.
Marco Schiantarelli
1988 – 1993
He succeeded Siro Mauro at the start of the 1988 choral season. A graduate of ISEF (the Italian higher institute of physical education) and a physical-education teacher for some twenty years in secondary schools, he had joined the choir as a baritone, soon showing fine vocal qualities and musical sensitivity. Though without formal musical training, he refined his technique under Siro’s guidance and through advanced courses for conductors. He led the choir with authority and a spirit of friendship until the summer of 1993, when he accepted a post as athletic trainer for the national alpine ski team ahead of the world championships and the Olympic Games.
Augusto Bertoletti
1993 – 1996
A native of Ponte, passionate about music of every kind and a baritone of the “Vetta” choir, which he had conducted for years after Siro Mauro. When the Monti Verdi found itself without a conductor, he took on the role on a transitional basis, guiding the choir through a delicate phase and arranging several new pieces. He held the baton until 23 November 1996, when, during the celebration of the choir’s thirtieth anniversary at the “Mignon” cinema, the new permanent conductor, Tamara Della Vedova, was introduced.
Tamara Della Vedova
Current director
since 1996
Director of the Coro Monti Verdi since 1996. A piano graduate of the “Scuola Ceciliana” in Tirano and a Law graduate, she studied voice at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan. Under her direction the choir has expanded its repertoire, recorded four CDs and a DVD, and performed over 370 concerts in Italy and abroad.