About ICB | International Chorale of Brussels

The International Chorale of Brussels is a multinational choir of around 60 singers. The choir has members from many nationalities, although the working language remains English.

Founded in 1977, the choir has been directed by John Brown since 2009 and usually gives concerts twice a year with soloists and musicians from the Brussels area.

The choir’s repertoire covers well known masses and large scale works as well as popular music and less familiar music and composers, including modern works. In the last few years we have performed a wide range of music, from masses by Palestrina, Mozart and Dvorak to songs from musicals such as West Side Story and Les Misérables. See the details of our future performances on the next concerts page.

We have taken part in the annual Singing Brussels celebration, and have been part of other choral festivals such as Woluwe Chante Noël and O Les Choeurs. We regularly support charities through our concerts, including Beautiful Gate Lesotho, the Community Help Service Brussels, and ADIS-CONGO.

The International Chorale of Brussels has been featured in Politico, the Bulletin (here and here), and on BBC Radio 3.

Read more about membership here. For more information e-mail Anna, and please do check with her before coming to a rehearsal.

Who's Who

Musical Director

John Brown

The current music director is John Brown. Originally from England, John played clarinet, bass clarinet, recorder, crumhorn and percussion in various ensembles and orchestras at the Wolverhampton Music School. He was president of the Music Society at Trinity College, Oxford, director of the Trinity Madrigal Singers and musical director of the Oxford Gilbert and Sullivan Society for 2 years. He has sung in several choirs in England and Belgium and is also choir director at All Saints’ Church, Waterloo. He plays percussion in the Bruocsella Symphony Orchestra, and accordion with the ceilidh band ‘The Hoggies‘, and is an enthusiastic pianist and accompanist.

Rehearsal pianist and accompanist

Violeta González

Violeta González started playing piano at the age of 5. She pursued her studies at the Professional Conservatory of Music of Zaragoza, finishing the middle degree with distinction in 2019 and was accepted at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in July of that same year. She finished her bachelor’s degree with Professor Daniël Blumenthal in June 2022, obtaining distinction. She then embarked on a master’s with the same teacher, which she is due to complete this year. Violeta is also teaching and working as an accompanist.