Zarautz Abesbatza

It was created in the year 1983 under the direction of Joakin Iruretagoiena. In 1996, Jaione Eskudero was appointed director.


Throughout these years, the choir has given numerous concerts in the Basque Country and abroad, such as in Galicia, Extremadura, Madrid, Seville, Huelva, Catalonia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, Czech Republic, Portugal, and Belgium (2019).

The choir has premiered and showcased the works and biographies of composers and personalities from Zarautz such as Francisco Escudero, Angel Illarramendi, Imanol Urbieta, Antxon Sarasua, Mertxe Isasti, Angel Urcelay, J.J.N. Garmendia, the Bersolari Iñaki Eizmendi “Basarri”, and the poet and writer Salbatore Mitxelena among others, organizing exceptional tribute concerts.

Zarautz Abesbatza organizes and promotes interaction with other cultural groups from the town, such as the Zarautz Music Band, the Gabota dance school, and the Jalgi dance group, txistularis and atabaleros, various choirs, musical groups, actors, narrators….

Regarding relations with groups from other localities, Zarautz Abesbatza has worked with the Euskadi Orchestra, the Francisco Escudero Higher Conservatory of Music Orchestra of Donostia, the string orchestra Et Incarnatus, Oreka TX, the txistularis group Laguntza from Legutiano, the Belgian vocal group Contretemps (2019), and many other choirs from Gipuzkoa and provinces.

In September 2017, Zarautz Abesbatza premiered the 7th Symphony of Anjel Illarramendi together with the Orfeón Donostiarra and the Euskadi Orchestra in a monographic concert, paying homage to the author. In the year 2018, the Karonte publishing house released the album of this concert.

In the year 2021, it organized a monographic concert with poems by Xabier Lizardi on his 125th anniversary together with Antton Valverde and his group, among others, in the Lizardi auditorium in Zarautz.

In 2022, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Francisco Escudero’s death, the choir held a special event in the Church of San Ignacio in Donostia, the Church of La Milagrosa in Pamplona, and the Franciscan Church in Zarautz.

In 2023, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, a trip to Bordeaux and three performances there. Special summer concert in the parish of Zarautz and, together with the Zarautz Music Band, special 40th-anniversary concert in the Aritzbatalde sports hall of the same town.