Since 1984, Feniarco has been the Italian National Federation of Choral Associations. It is a cultural entity that operates actively and extensively throughout the country, connecting 21 Regional Choral Associations (one for each Italian region, including the two autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano) and over 2,900 affiliated choirs with a total of 120,000 singers.
Feniarco is a second-level association registered in the RUNTS (National Single Register of the Third Sector), both in the section of Social Promotion Associations and as an associative network.
Since 2008, Feniarco has been officially accredited by the Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education and Merit) to provide training for school personnel (an accreditation confirmed by Law 170/2016). It is also included in the national "Arts Plan".
Feniarco aims to enhance, promote, and disseminate choral music in the cultural, artistic, educational, and social fields, with particular attention to new generations—from children to young people—without neglecting other age groups and marginalized communities. Its many programs and initiatives are developed with ongoing innovation and solid organizational experience, thanks to strategic planning that has been refined and consolidated over time, and a high-quality methodology that consistently delivers growing results in terms of both participation and cultural-musical value.The artistic and educational quality of its projects, along with a strong capacity for design and management, have helped raise the profile of the federation and strengthen its relationship with public institutions, gaining increasing recognition and appreciation over the years.
Today, Feniarco is a recognized “brand” in the field of choral music in Italy and holds a significant position at the European and international level. Its ongoing and productive collaborations with the Ministry of Culture (since 1986) demonstrate the role that Feniarco plays in the Italian choral scene: an organization that mobilizes human and financial resources, supporting choral music across a broad range of activities—from training to publishing, live performance, and cultural partnerships.On this basis, Feniarco is the main point of reference in dialogue with institutions responsible for supporting and producing Italian choral music, especially in national events and initiatives. Its strong ties with the Ministry of Education have been particularly fruitful in promoting music and choral activities within schools.
Feniarco also actively seeks dialogue with local authorities to foster close and productive collaboration, reinforcing its widely recognized role as a key stakeholder in all areas of choral action.Notably, over time, Feniarco has received funding for 15 musical inclusion projects under the guidelines of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, specifically aimed at Social Promotion Associations listed in the national register—Feniarco being the only musical organization in Italy with such registration
The Italian choirs play an important role in the life of our country and Feniarco, as a cultural subject of the choral-musical world, is responsible for:
• maintain relations with the institutions at national level protecting the interests of amateur chorus;
• promote and organize artistic events and higher level training projects at national and international level, in collaboration with the Regional Choral Associations and other international organizations;
•coordinate the activity of the Regional Choir Associations with the aim of pursuing unitary objectives by adopting a "network" method on the territory;
• make available to the associated members, services and agreements stipulated at national level (Siae, insurance, banking services and others);
• keep constantly updated - with the help of an advanced on-line database specifically developed - the census of Italian chorality with the complete list of choirs associated with the Regional Choral Associations headed by Feniarco;
• spread the Italian choral heritage through the publication, through the Feniarco Music Editions and in collaboration with other publishers, of new compositions addressed to both children and young people, as well as to adult choirs and specific insights on the choral world;
• deepen specific themes and topics through its quarterly magazine Choraliter and the Italiacori.it magazine;
• promote its business and maintain relationships with institutions, associations, conservatories, music institutes, music operators, schools and singers of choral music;
• representing Italian chorus at European and international level: Feniarco has been associated for over 20 years with ECA-EC (European Choral Association - Europa Cantat), chaired by Sante Fornasier from 2009 to 2012, and from 2018 to 2021 by Carlo Pavese; general manager Marco Fornasier is currently a member of the Board; it is also associated with IFCM (International Federation for Choral Music), Musica International (The Virtual Choral Library), and EAS (European Association for music in Schools).
The value of the proposed artistic and training programs and the innovation on the organizational and management level contribute daily to raise the profile of Feniarco and to strengthen the dialogue with the institutions that are with the same reality.
The choral world is a widespread and free school where there is room for musical culture and socialization, for the spirit of the group but also for healthy competition. Glue between past and present, the chorus unites different generations who, singing, rediscover the pleasure of being together.
Singing in a choir is an extraordinary experience that, in addition to the main artistic musical aspect, pursues other important objectives:
• enhancement and spreading of the Italian musical heritage and in particular the less popular (think of the great repertoire of the Italian Renaissance);
• protection and protection of traditions, of popular songs and of oral tradition
• social inclusion / multiculturalism
• intergenerational aspect / dialogue between generations / the choir has no age
• group work / mutual respect / self-discipline
• planning / management
• public education
• lifelong learning
The choir is also a "cultural garrison" of territory, widespread, more than ever important and necessary in a society, disarticulated and in an identity crisis like the current one.