Claudio Monteverdi Choral Competition 18-21 February 2025

Choirs 2019

KD KomorniI Zbor Cantabile – Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia

Conductor: Andreja Dosler

Category: E (Sacred Music)

The colourful rainbow of sounds of the Chamber Choir Cantabile is composed of young Slovene girls aged from 13 to 18, who are proud to preserve the love for singing, especially Slovene songs. From various places and schools, they meet in singing sessions, where they share harmony in music and friendship. The choir celebrated their first year and half of their activities with enviable successes. With the desire to spread the Slovenian song around the world, they applied for the International Competition of Singing Choirs “Canta Al Mar”, which took place in October 2018 in Calella. They competed in the folklore category, where they presented six Slovene songs in the Ambrož Čopi performance and won the golden diploma and 3rd place in the mentioned category. In November 2018, they presented themselves in Radlje ob Dravi at Sozvočenje, a regional competition where they received a cash prize for the purchase of music. Chamber Choir Cantabile were also one of the three award-winning choirs, who received recognition for an interesting composition and explanation of the programme. In March this year they were accepted into the international competition Aegis Carminis, which was first organized in Koper – Slovenia. Even though they were the least numerous choir, they received a gold plaque for a quality vocal technique.

 

Mixed choir “Zemyna” – Jonava Kaunas, Lithuania

Conductor: Violeta Michelkevičienė

Categories: B (Adult Choirs), E (Sacred Music)

Mixed choir “Žemyna” (the goddess of the earth in Lithuanian mythology) in Jonava, Lithuania was founded in 1967. Since its foundation the choir has given many concerts that delight people in many concert halls of Lithuanian towns and villages. The choir has participated in different national festivals such as the Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival and the World Lithuanian Song Festival. They have sung in international festivals in Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Germany and Korea as well as in towns of Central Asia, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Sochi, Murmansk and Archangelsk. The choir‘s repertoire is various and different and ranges from folk, sacred repertoire at masses and carols, traditional songs and pieces by local and foreign authors to popular melodies of the 20th century. International Choral Festival „The Eternal Light of the Song“ is organized in Jonava Culture Centre from 2004. This festival cherishes the traditions of choral music and Lithuanian songs’ feast. Violeta Michelkevičienė became the leader of the choir in 2006.

 

Radost – Mosca, Russia

Conductor: Ekaterina Dunaeva

Categories: B (Children and Youth Choirs), E (Sacred Music)

Radost is one of the leading choirs in Moscow. It was founded in 1980. The choir has toured with concerts all over the world: Austria, Armenia, Bulgaria, Belarus, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong-Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macao, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, USA. They also visited more than 30 cities in Russia. The choir has won the following international competitions: Ireland, Cork 1994; France, Tours 1994, Greece, Rhodes 1998; China, Tianjin 2000; Thailand, Bangkok 2003 and 2005; Hong-Kong 2003; Spain, Kantonigros 2004; Germany, Bremen 2004; Serbia, Nis 2006; Germany, Zwickau 2006; Italy, Rome 2007; Germany, Wernigorode 2007; Czech Republic, Prague 2008; Czech Republic, Czech Budejovice 2009; Serbia, Nis 2010; Hungary, Budapest 2011; Belarus, Minsk 2012; China, Guangzhou 2012; Lithuania, Kaunas 2013; Poland, Hajnówka 2014, 2016; Serbia, Belgrade 2015 and 2017; Slovakia, Bratislava 2017; Poland, Krakow 2018. The choir’s repertoire is diversified and attracts a widespread audience. It contains Russian sacred and classical music, West-European classics, music by contemporary composers, musical heritage and folklore from Russia and other countries. A cappella compositions are important part of repertoire. Their conductor, Tatiana Zhdanova, is a graduate from the Moscow State Conservatory and an Honored artist of Russia and she has received the President’s Reward as well as the Moscow Government’s Reward. The choir’ choirmasters are Ekaterina Dunaeva and Tatiana Khailova and the accompanist is Alexander Zemyachkovskiy.

 

Neuer Kammerchor Berlin – Berlin, Germany

Conductor: Adrian Emans

Categories: B (Adult Choirs), E (Sacred Music)

choirs 2019

The Neuer Kammerchor Berlin (New Chamber Choir Berlin) was founded by Adrian Emans in October 2016. The choir is made up of music students from the University of the Arts Berlin, graduates from vocal programs, and other singers with extensive choral experience. This collaboration makes for a professional approach to the music. The ensemble is supported by the music education department of the University of the Arts Berlin. The Neuer Kammerchor Berlin rehearses weekly and holds regular weekend rehearsal retreats. They have taken on an ambitious a cappella repertoire. The repertoire includes choral works from several different epochs, ranging from Renaissance choral works to classical and modern pieces. In November 2017, the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin participated in the 31st international choir competition “Praga Cantat” and won the Gold Band, the second prize in the category “Mixed Choirs”. As part of the international choir competition for chamber choirs “Mosbach”, the Neuer Kammerchor Berlin took part in a workshop with Prof. Frieder Bernius, the director of Kammerchor Stuttgart. In July 2018, the choir participated in the 10th international choir competition “World Choir Games“ in Tshwane, South Africa and won a silver medal in the category “Mixed Choirs“. During the trip, the choir also held a concert in the renowned Endler Hall at the Stellenbosch University as part of the “Endler Concert Series“. In November 2018, the choir collaborated with different ensembles and soloists from Poland in order to premier a composition called “Mass of Trust“ by the young Polish composer Zuzanna Koziej in Berlin and Wroclaw. As part of the so-called “Sonntagskonzertreihe“, which is a concert series organised by a local choir organisation, the choir debuted at the Berlin Philharmonic in February 2019.

 

‘Ars Cantandi’ of Wroclaw University of Economics – Wrocław, Poland

Conductor: Anna Grabowska-Borys

Category: B (Adult Choirs)

choirs 2019

“Ars Cantandi” Choir of the Wrocław University of Economics started its activity in 2004. Most of its participants are students and graduates of Wroclaw University of Economics, people who love singing and music. Anna Grabowska-Borys is a co-founder, art director and conductor of the Wroclaw University of Economics Ars Cantandi Choir. She graduated the Karol Lipinski Wroclaw Academy of Music in the choir conducting class of 2005 (degree with honors), followed by postgraduate degree in Choirmasters at the Bydgoszcz Academy of Music. Ars Cantandi participates in national and international choir competitions, as for example: Rimini 2014, Wernigerode 2015, Lloret de Mar 2016, Baia Mare 2017, Ohrid 2018 winning of gold, silver and bronze medals as well and first place and special prizes. The choir participated in many events of the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw in 2016, assisted in a concert with Andrea Bocelli and was invited to perform the “Song for the unification of Europe” by Zbigniew Preisner at the European Film Awards ceremony in 2016. Their repertoire includes music by national and international composers from various ages with religious and secular themes.

 

Postojna Mixed Choir – Postojna, Slovenia

Conductor: Matjaž Šček

Categories: B (Adult Choirs), E (Sacred Music)

choirs 2019

Postojna Mixed Choir was founded in 1983. For twenty years it has been successful on a regional, national and international scale. It has taken part in six national and twenty-one international competitions round Europe. Its latest, most prominent achievement is the first place ex aequo at Antonio Guanti Choir Competition in Matera (Italy 2017). The choir’s repertoire includes sacred and secular music from various art periods with focus on Slovenian folk music as well. It has released four CDs. Since 2016, the choir has been conducted by maestro Matjaž Šček who leaves a mark in Slovenian choral music and owns a reputation as an aesthete with a sophisticated touch for vocal music. He has won several Slovenian and European music awards for his work with different choirs. Leading Ljubljana Madrigalists, RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir, Ipavska Chamber Choir and The Slovenian Philharmonic Choir represents the top of his creative work. He has enriched his term with Postojna Mixed Choir by fruitful collaborations with some Slovenian and Italian composers as well.

 

Komorní Sbor Nyklband, z.s. – Frenštát Pod Radhoštěm, Repubblica Ceca

Conductor: Boris Nykl

Categories: B (Adult Choirs), E (Sacred Music)

choirs 2019

Komorní sbor Nyklband is a Czech chamber choir from Frenstat pod Radhostem. The choir consists of high school and university students. Nyklband regularly rehearses under its conductor Boris Nykl. The choir’s repertoire is various – we can hear an old sacred music, arrangements of folk songs and popular music as well from them. The main part of the choir’s repertoire is composed of the arrangments written by Boris Nykl himself. Nyklband tries to sing originally, playfully and especially interesting. The choir was established in October 2014. Since then Nyklband regularly organizes concerts across the Czech Republic and competes in international choir festivals. In 2015, Nyklband released a Christmas CD, in 2018 they published a CD in honour of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia. Currently the choir works on many interesting projects, notably Nyklband will organize the 5th anniversary concert after the Claudio Monteverdi Choral Competition in Venice in 2019 – moreover Nyklband was founded on the same day this festival is held.