Oratorio Choir · Zagreb · St. Mark's Church

Cantores
Sancti Marci

Voices of sacred tradition beneath the vaults of St. Mark's

Qui cantat, bis orat

Concerts · §i

Performances
· 2026

Throughout the year, the ensemble performs liturgical and concert programmes in St. Mark's Church and other venues in Zagreb.

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Programme Updates

Ensemble

Choir · Church of St. Francis Xavier

Organ

Pavao Mašić

Basses · St. Mark's Church

The Ensemble · §ii

Sacred music in the heart of Zagreb.

Founded in its present form in 1988, Cantores Sancti Marci is the direct successor to the Oratorio Choir of St. Mark's Church, established in 1920.

For over more than a century of uninterrupted tradition, the choir has been shaped by a distinguished succession of conductors, including Rikard Rosskamp, Mladen Pozajić, Franjo Dugan, Čedomil Dugan, Mladen Stahuljak, Vladimir Kranjčević, Ivan Repušić, Tomislav Fačini, and Matija Fortuna. Today, the ensemble is led by Jurica Petar Petrač, who has served as artistic director since 2011, while its long-standing collaboration with Pavao Mašić, chief organist of St. Mark's Church and Assistant Professor at the Academy of Music in Zagreb, dates back to 1999.

The ensemble consists of around thirty singers and has performed publicly more than 2,500 times, in addition to touring extensively throughout Europe. Cantores Sancti Marci has won awards at choral competitions in Croatia and abroad, including those held in Zagreb, Split, Zadar, Bratislava, and Neerpelt. It also regularly collaborates with Croatian Radiotelevision, Croatian Catholic Radio, and leading Croatian and international orchestras and musicians.

— Jurica Petar Petrač, Artistic Director

11am

On Sundays

St. Mark's Church

Listen to the Cantores every week.

The choir sings during the holy mass with music of sacred tradition — from classical mass compositions to works by Croatian church composers.

More about the parish

Awards · §iii

Twenty-one awards at competitions across nine European countries — from 1992 to today.

All awards→

1992Second placeKöln ✣ 1995Second placeZadar ✣ 1996First prizeNeerpelt ✣ 1998Silver plaqueZagreb ✣ 1999Gold plaqueZagreb ✣ 1999Third placeZadar ✣ 2001Golden CathedralSplit ✣ 2002Second prizeNeerpelt ✣ 2003Second placeZadar ✣ 2003Silver plaqueN. Vinodolski ✣ 2003Silver medalRiva del Garda ✣ 2004Bronze CathedralSplit ✣ 2005First placeZadar ✣ 2013Two gold plaquesBratislava ✣ 2014Gold plaqueZagreb ✣ 2015Gold plaqueOhrid ✣ 2016Two gold plaquesZagreb ✣ 2017Two gold medalsRiga ✣ 2018Gold medalPrijedor ✣ 2020Two gold plaquesZagreb ✣ 2024Gold plaqueOhrid ✣

21 awards · 9 countries · 1992—2024

The Space · §iii

St. Mark's
Church

Music can act upon our senses to produce or induce feelings of reverence, humility, fervor, assurance, or other feelings attuned to the spirit of worship.”

— Spencer W. Kimball

The Interior

The Vaults

Upper Town · Zagreb

A history of the space

St. Mark's Church is one of Zagreb's oldest and most iconic landmarks. Standing at the heart of the Upper Town, it has served for centuries as a place of worship, civic life, and many of the city's defining historical moments. Its Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements bear witness to the centuries and political transformations that have shaped Zagreb.

ii.

A roof as the symbol of Zagreb

One of Zagreb's most recognisable landmarks, the church's vibrant glazed-tile roof displays the coats of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia alongside that of the City of Zagreb. More than an architectural flourish, it reflects the city's historical identity and its enduring ties to the wider Central European cultural sphere.

iii.

Acoustics and sound

Shaped by soaring vaults, stone walls, and a rich, lingering resonance, the interior of St. Mark's Church offers an exceptional acoustic for sacred music. Polyphony unfolds with remarkable depth and clarity, while the church's reverberation allows each phrase to resonate beyond its final note. Here, voices and architecture become inseparable parts of the same musical experience.

iv.

The art within the church

The interior brings together Gothic architecture and the work of some of Croatia's foremost twentieth-century artists. Murals by Jozo Kljaković enrich the walls, while sculptures by Ivan Meštrović lend the space a quiet monumentality. The result is an interior of exceptional artistic richness, where sacred architecture and modern Croatian art exist in remarkable harmony.

v · St. Mark's Square

Upper Town · Zagreb

vi · The South portal

vii · Fresco

Kljaković · Moses, 1924

viii · Choir loft

ix · Stained glass

Adoration of the Shepherds

Featured performance · §iv

Veni, veni Emmanuel · The Christmas Music Festival in Zagreb
Church of St Francis Xavier · 3 December 2017

Zoltán Kodály

Veni, veni
Emmanuel.

Composer

Zoltán Kodály

Choir

Cantores Sancti Marci

Venue

Church of St Francis Xavier

Recording

Marko Pletikosa

Join the Cantores · §v

Become a
Cantor.

Auditions for the 2026 season are now open. We welcome singers who are eager to explore sacred and early music in a collaborative ensemble dedicated to musical excellence.

Auditions available by appointment cantores.sancti.marci@gmail.com

CantoresSancti Marci

Performances· 2026