The Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat (CSLC) was founded in 1977 under the name Coral Caminhos Novos and later renamed Coral Lisboa Cantat. It is one of the choirs of the Associação Musical Lisboa Cantat. Over the years, under the direction of João Valeriano, Paulo Brandão, Rui de Matos and, since 1986, Jorge Carvalho Alves, the choir has deliberately expanded, ultimately achieving its current symphonic formation of around 80 members. Not only has it contributed to the promotion of Portuguese classical music, regularly premiering works by contemporary Portuguese composers, but with this expanded formation, it is able to embrace great challenges, performing demanding repertoires in collaboration with various conductors and orchestras. 

On a national level, it has collaborated with the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa and Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa, as well as with the Orquestra Clássica de Espinho, Orquestra Clássica do Centro, Orquestra Clássica do Sul, Orquestra de Câmara da GNR, Orquestra de Câmara de Cascais e Oeiras, Orquestra do Norte, Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Orquestra Sinfónica Juvenil, Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa and Orquestra XXI. Among its international collaborations, the choir has performed with the Orquestra Filarmonia de Madrid (Spain), the Timisoara Orchestra (Romania), the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra (Poland) and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (England).

In Portugal, it has had the privilege of performing in some of the country’s most prestigious concert halls, theatres and churches: Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon, Basilica of Estrela, Casa da Música do Porto, Culturgest Main Auditorium, Gulbenkian Foundation Main and Small Auditoriums, CCB Main and Small Auditoriums, S. Francisco Church (Porto), São Roque Church, Alcobaça Monastery, Jerónimos Monastery, Royal Basilica of Mafra, Lisbon Cathedral, Sé Nova in Coimbra, Trindade Theatre, São Carlos National Theatre, among many others. It was an associate choir of CCB in the 2010/2011 season.

The vast and eclectic repertoire performed over the years includes great works of sacred and secular a cappella choral music, spanning from the Renaissance to contemporary compositions, with forays into the world of opera and musical theatre, encompassing more than fifty major works for choir and orchestra. Notable performances include the Requiem Masses of G. Verdi, W. A. Mozart, G. Fauré, J. Brahms, M. Duruflé and E. Carrapatoso (world premiere), the Messa di Gloria by G. Puccini, the Nelson Mass, Theresienmesse, The Seasons and The Creation by J. Haydn, Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solennelle by G. Rossini, Carmina Burana by C. Orff, Symphonies No. 2, No. 3 and No. 8 by G. Mahler, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio and Easter Oratorio by J. S. Bach, Symphony No. 2 by F. Mendelssohn, A Sea Symphony by V. Williams, Messiah by G. F. Händel, Cantata Verbum Caro and Oratória Popular by N. Côrte-Real (symphonic version premiere and world premiere, respectively), Great Mass in C minor and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore by W. A. Mozart, October Cantata by S. Prokofiev (Portuguese premiere), Cantata para un Silencio by D. Schvetz (world premiere), L’Enfance du Christ and Romeo and Juliet by H. Berlioz, Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9 by L. v. Beethoven, 1812 Overture by S. Rachmaninoff, The Planets by G. Holst, Missa Solene em Honra de N.ª Sr.ª de Fátima by Manuel Faria and Joaquim dos Santos. The choir has also participated in productions of L’Elisir d’Amore by G. Donizetti and The Phantom of the Opera by A. L. Webber.

The quality of its concert performances owes much to the conductors, both national and international, who have led the choir: Adrian Leaper, Antonio Pirolli, António Vassalo Lourenço, Brian Schembri, Cesário Costa, Christopher Bochmann, Dinis Sousa, Dmitri Jurowsky, Donato Renzetti, Enrico Onofri, Giampaolo Vessella, Hans-Christoph Rademann, João Paulo Santos, José Cura, José Ferreira Lobo, Laurent Petit-Girard, Leonardo García Alarcón, Manuel Ivo Cruz, Marc Tardue, Martin André, Michael Zilm, Miguel Graça Moura, Nicholas Kraemer, Olivier Cuendet, Osvaldo Ferreira, Pedro Amaral, Pedro Carneiro, Pedro Neves, Rui Pinheiro, Theodor Guschlbauer, Vasco Pearce de Azevedo and Zoltán Peskó.

It has partnered with the Choir of the S. Carlos National Theatre for performances of Verdi’s Requiem, Schönberg’s Gürrelieder, Liszt’s Faust Symphony and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, and with the Gulbenkian Choir for Schönberg’s Gürrelieder.

In addition to its strong symphonic focus, CSLC also works on a cappella repertoire, both national and international. It is committed to the promotion and dissemination of Portuguese music and composers and, in this context, has been recording the complete a cappella choral works of Fernando Lopes-Graça, as well as harmonizations written by Portuguese composers from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Associação Musical Lisboa Cantat (AMLC) is a non-profit cultural association that pursues musical, social, and recreational objectives. Its mission is to promote and disseminate musical culture to the general public in collaboration with professional and amateur musicians from both Portugal and abroad. This activity serves as the foundation for the human and social cohesion of its approximately 180 members, fostering a spirit of camaraderie and shared experiences.

AMLC began its activities in 1977 under the name Coral Caminhos Novos, becoming in 1983 Coral Lisboa Cantat — a name it retained until 2007. That year, following the creation of two distinct ensembles — a symphonic choir (Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat), inheriting the legacy of Coral Lisboa Cantat, and a chamber choir (Coro de Câmara Lisboa Cantat) — its statutes were revised, and it was renamed Associação Musical Lisboa Cantat. Over the past 40+ years, it has been a founding member of the Association of Amateur Choirs of the Lisbon Area (ACAAL) and is also affiliated with the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM).

In addition to supporting its longest-standing ensembles, the symphonic and chamber choirs, AMLC is now focused on consolidating its more recent groups: the children’s choir (Coro Infantil Lisboa Cantat), a vocal academy (Academia Vocal Lisboa Cantat) and a youth choir (Coro Juvenil Lisboa Cantat), all of which have been established over the years.

This diversity of ensembles allows AMLC to position itself as an association dedicated to the human voice and the teaching and refinement of the art of singing. It aims to provide opportunities for individuals at all stages of their musical journey — from young children to mature singers, from experienced performers to beginners — ensuring that each member can find a space for artistic enjoyment and vocal development.

A major highlight of AMLC’s work is its ambitious project to contribute to the appreciation of Portuguese music, both past and present. AMLC is undertaking a comprehensive recording project of the complete a cappella choral works of Fernando Lopes-Graça, while also showcasing his influence on contemporary composers. As part of this effort, it has already recorded four volumes in the collection "Compositores Portugueses xx–xxi", as well as two volumes in the collection "Fernando Lopes-Graça – Obra Coral a cappella".

Since 2010, AMLC has held the status of a Public Utility Entity.