Created by an initiative from the Minister of Culture at the end of the 1970s under the name of Centres régionaux d'art polyphonique (Regional polyphonic art centres), these associations quickly profited from regional input and implication. With the expansion of their mission to all that touches upon vocal practice, they became known as Les Missions voix at the end of the 1990s.

They specialise in the cultural programs linked to vocal practice and are centres where State values and regional priorities meet.

Their role is to develop, quantitatively and qualitatively, the diversity of vocal practices in each region with all those who work within this particular framework. They do not exist just to insure that there is training or the diffusion of individual or choral singing, but to help, particularly as regards training programs already in place, all who wish to do so and in the best possible conditions and above all, in concert with others.  They are charged in particular with maintaining a training continuity, from early learning to a professional level, in general and specialised training, within an associative network . Also, they garner the development of public offerings and the expansion of the presence of the voice in musical creation.

They must thus permit all- political decision makers, music school directors, choir leaders, and live performance producers- to better understand each other so that all may have a global vision of what is happening vocally within their area or region.

Les Missions voix has worked within a network for more than ten years and, though each region has its own set of givens, it works to pool information, ideas, and work tools which are coordinated in turn by Interregional platform.