U Cantin d'A Roca
Monegasque choir founded in the mid-1990s, keeping the Principality's traditional repertoire and performing the Monegasque anthem at official ceremonies.
U Cantin d’A Roca — literally « the corner of the Rock » in Monegasque — is the Principality’s choir. It keeps the traditional Monegasque repertoire and performs Monaco’s anthem at official ceremonies.
A choir that carries the language
Its official history begins with a ministerial decree of 25 October 1995, which authorises it and approves its articles of association. It was accredited in 2011 — Monegasque accreditation, granted after several years of operation, opens access to public competitions. In 2025, the choir celebrates its thirtieth anniversary and performs the Monegasque anthem at the Monegasque language competition prize-giving: the convergence between the 1995 act and this anniversary places creation in the mid-1990s, without fixing it to the day.
Françoise Cellario has chaired the association since the general meeting of 18 October 2021, whose minutes were published in the Journal de Monaco. Memoria cites only the chair’s role: the same public notice mentions a general secretary and a treasurer, who are not leadership functions.
In November 2025, a sovereign ordinance grants the Medal of Honour to one of the choir’s members — the highest Monegasque civil distinction for associative commitment.
Why we archive it
A choir that sings the national anthem at official ceremonies is not a simple club: it holds an intangible repertoire. When the last speakers of a language disappear, choirs keep pronunciation and melodies. That is exactly what an archive should retain.
The facts are paraphrased; only the source is cited. To suggest a correction, write to Memoria.