Various Voices

Various Voices is the most important LGBTQ+ choir festival in Europe, the 2023 edition is organized by the social promotion association Aulos, in collaboration with Komos APS and on behalf of Legato Choirs (European Association of LGBTQ+ choirs).

It is a non-competition event that takes place every 4 years in a European city, chosen by the choirs who take part to Legato.

The biggest goal of the festival is spreading – through music – messages, demands, needs and questions of the LGBTQ+ community, in order to promote a welcoming and inclusive world.

Various Voices has a 35-year history, with 15 different editions hosted in several European cities: from 1985 in Cologne (Germany) with 4 choirs from 4 nations, to 2018 in Munich (Germany) with more than 100 choirs from 19 nations and 2700 delegates.

logo Aulos APS

Aulos

Aulos APS is a social promotion association based in Bologna.

Aulos was born with the aim of organizing the Italian edition of the International Festival of LGBTQ+ Various Voices choirs of which it shares objectives and messages. For this purpose it makes use of the artistic collaboration of Komos APS and of the administrative one of Planning Events srl.

musical notes

Komos

Komos is the first LGBTQ+ even-voice choir in Italy, as it was born in 2008. From 2012 it has been a cultural association and from 2018 it is a social-promotion one. In 2015 Komos organized the first edition of Cromatica – italian rainbow choir festival.

Under its belt, the association has:

  • over 130 concerts and shows in Italy and abroad;
  • 9 Komos&Co editions, a seasonal music festival with Italian and international guests;
  • 7 editions of an international LGBTQ+-theme composition contest;
  • 1 theatre show “Il mio Canto Libero” (“Freedom Song”), about the confinement of homosexual people during fascism;
  • several collaborations with high schools for classes against homolesbobitransphobia;
  • from 2017 on it has been a member of the co-planning activities between Bolognese LGBTQ+ associations and Bologna city council.

Legato

Legato is the European Association of LGBTQ+ Choirs: more than 128 member choirs from 20 countries with approximately 4120 singers.

The association promotes art, culture and understanding between nations, staging choral singing events with participants from many European nations. It maintains an up to date list of LGBTQ+ Choirs in Europe and publishes events being run by these Choirs locally, and encourages people to go and support the events.

​Legato connects new LGBTQ+ Choirs with more experienced ones so that they can avoid some of the pitfalls of starting a new Choir.

​It is actively supporting the development of LGBTQ+ Choirs in Eastern Europe, where in many countries to be LGBTQ+ is considered a crime, and people are persecuted.

Legato works for the emancipation of LGBTQ+ individuals in Europe and combat discrimination against these groups.