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Each year the Festival invites seven adjudicators both from Ireland and from abroad to adjudicate the schools-, national- and international competitions. In 2010 the Ajudication team included:
International Adjudicators
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Professor Peter Erdei, Hungary
Director of the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music, Kecskemét, 1974-2008.
Professor of choral conducting at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest.
Permanent guest professor of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, CN.
Artistic director of the Alma Mater Choir of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music.
Co-founder of the Kodály Musical Training Institute, USA, 1969.
For many years he has conducted choirs like the Hungarian Radio Choir, the Kodaly Choir of Debrecen, and the Teachers' Choir of Kecskemét.
Chairman of the Artistic Board of the Béla Bartók International Choral Competition of Debrecen, 2002-2008.
Conductor of the World Youth Choir, 2000.
In the last 3 decades he has given first performances, made recordings of many contemporary Hungarian choral works.
The President of the Hungarian Republic awarded him the Order of Merit (civilian) Officer Cross in 1995. The King of Norway awarded him the Order of Merit Chief Officer Cross in 2002.
Among many awards he holds the Liszt Prize and the Bartók-Pásztory Prize for performing arts in Hungary, Kodaly Prize of the Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae Foundation and the Honorary Doctorate of Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. |
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Shane Brennan, Ireland
An experienced adjudicator at Irish Music Festivals, Shane Brennan has worked as Arts Education Officer for the Midland region since 2003.
A native of Sligo, Shane graduated with first honours in music from University College Dublin in 1982. He later completed an MA in Musicology there.
As Organ Scholar at Westminster Cathedral London, Shane was privileged to study under and work alongside three of England’s finest choral conductors, David Hill, Stephen Cleobury and James O‘Donnell.
In 1984, he was appointed Director of the Schola Cantorum in Mullingar, where for 20 years he trained many of Ireland’s most talented young musicians in Organ, Choral-work, General Musicianship and Singing.
He was also director of music at Mullingar Cathedral and director of Mullingar Choral Society for many years and in 1998 formed a specialist semi-professional Church Choir – ‘Flos Carmelli’ - at Whitrefriar St Church, Dublin.
As choral accompanist, Shane has worked with the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and the Irish Youth Choir on several occasions. As a recitalist, he has regularly played at organ festivals in Ireland, England, Scandinavia Lithuania and Russia. In Summer 2009, Shane was the first Irish organist invited to play on Russia’s largest organ, the new ‘Shuke’ organ at Kaliningrad Cathedral.
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Michel Camatte, France
Michel Camatte was born in Marseille, France. He studied organ, lyrical singing and solfège in the Marseille National Conservatory, and harmony, counterpoint, fugue, orchestral and choral conducting, with the composer Pierre Villette, in the Aix en Provence National Conservatory.
He was Founder-Conductor of the University Choir of Marseille from 1966 to 1970, and of the Madrigal Choir from 1970 to 1976. In 1976, he was chosen by the French Ministry of Culture to become one of the directors of the French National Conservatories, and was the director of the Clermont-Ferrand Conservatoire (1976-1983), then the Tours Conservatoire (1983-1989); and since 1989, the Aix en Provence Conservatoire, a post he commenced on the retirement of Pierre Villette.
Throughout his 34 years at the helm of these major Conservatoires, he has conducted many choirs and orchestras, both professional and amateur, and of course student choirs and orchestras.
Today, he is conductor of the Conservatoire students orchestra, of the Provence Philharmonic Orchestra (based in Marseille), and of the Marseille Chamber Orchestra. He also conducts the Conservatoire’s female vocal ensemble.
He has been adjudicator at international choral competitions in Tours, Athens, Rhodes, Montreux, Arezzo, and Cork.
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Theodora Pavlovitch, Bulgaria
Theodora Pavlovitch is a Professor in choral conducting, and Artistic Director of the Mixed Choirs at the Bulgarian National Academy of Music and at the Sofia University.
She is also conductor of the Vassil Arnaoudov Sofia Chamber Choir. The choir is one of the most famous Bulgarian choirs, a winner of 21 first and special awards at International competitions and a holder of the ‘Golden Lyre’ - the highest Bulgarian award for music.
Theodora Pavlovitch is a regular jury member at a number of international choral competitions and a lecturer at different music events. In 2005 she was invited to lead a masterclass in conducting at the 7th World Symposium on Choral Music in Kyoto, 2005. In winter 2007/2008 she conducted a session of the World Youth Choir, honoured by UNESCO with the title Artist for Peace, recognizing the WYC's success as a platform for intercultural dialogue through music. In 2008 she was elected a Vice President of the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM).
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Professor Kurt Suttner, Germany
Professor Kurt Suttner studied music education and singing at the Munich Musikhochschule. After several years spent as a music teacher in Munich and at the German School in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), followed by three years as Music Advisor to the Malagasy Ministry of Culture in Antananarivo (Madagascar), he was appointed lecturer in choral conducting at the Munich Musikhochschule and Professor for Musical Education at the University of Augsburg.
In 1972 he founded the via-nova-chor München and conducted it until 2007. His aim was to focus on new choral music, especially compositions by contemporary composers, without losing contact with traditional European choral music. In accordance with this policy, the choir premiered more than 30 new choral works. The via-nova-chor and the Chamber Choir of the University of Augsburg were awarded a number of major national and international prizes, including the First Prize in the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition in Cork in both 1985 and in 1987.
From 1989 until 1999 Kurt Suttner conducted the Bavarian Choral Academy sponsored by the Bavarian Ministry of Culture and Education, which is designed to further young and talented vocalists. He regularly contributes to national and international choir competitions as a jury member or as an expert of choral conducting courses. As an editor he has published a number of choral song books (Bosse-Verlag Kassel) as well as a series of new choral music "carus novus" (Carus-Verlag Stuttgart). In 1997 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and in 2007 the Medal of Merit of Bavaria.
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Veronica McCarron, Ireland
Veronica McCarron, B.Mus, Dip Mus Ed, is a 1972 graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow, with further studies at the University of Perth – Western Australia, and South Dakota State University, USA.
She was born in Co. Fermanagh, grew up in Scotland, and has taught classroom/choral music for 36 years in Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and the USA. Whilst teaching in the USA, her choirs appeared on television on several occasions, and performed at many prestigious events, including celebrations to welcome home US Troops from the Gulf War in 1991. She was also chosen in 1987 to represent South Dakota in the ’Hearst Outstanding Educator of the Year’ award by the National PTA organisation of the USA.
She returned to Ireland in 1995 and joined the teaching staff at the Presentation Secondary School Kilkenny, where she founded the Choral Programme. During the past 12 years the school choirs have taken First Place in many of Ireland’s top choral competitions including the Cork International Choral Festival, Feis Ceoil, Arklow Music Festival, Wesley College Inter-Schools Music Festival and Kilkenny Music Festival. The Choirs have also consistently been placed in the top 10 choirs nationally in the Department of Education and Science Choral Examinations, taking first place on several occasions. The Senior Choir also took first place in the RTE Lyric FM “Choirs for Christmas” in 2004 and 2007. They have also performed at Aras an Uachtaráin for President McAleese and also on the Late Late Show in 2002. Additionally, the Choral Programme has financially benefited to the tune of over €30,000 from the sales of two CD’s released in 2004 and 2007.
These activities and events have brought tremendous credit and honour to the Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny and the image and reputation of the school has been greatly enhanced throughout the country through the many successes and high standards of the choral programme. In turn Veronica believes the students have also benefited greatly through their choral experiences in teamwork, discipline, dedication, perseverance and striving for perfection….lifelong and vital aspects of character building and self-esteem.
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Dónal Doherty, Ireland
Dónal Doherty was educated in the Schola Cantorum, Mullingar, University College, Dublin and the National University of Ireland. Important early influences were Frank McNamara (Director, Schola Cantorum) Mabel Swainson (piano) and Gerard Gillen (organ).
Following several organ and choral appointments in Dublin, Dónal moved to Derry in 1982 where he was appointed Director of Music in St Eugene's Cathedral and Head of Music in St Columb's College. From 1992 – 2000 he was co-founder and joint artistic director, along with Timothy Allen of St Columb’s Cathedral, of the Two Cathedrals’ Festival. In 1996 Dónal was appointed Head of Music Services for the Western Education and Library Board. The City of Derry Civic Choirs were established in 1997 with the support of Derry City Council, WELB and the Arts Council. From an initial group of 2 choirs, the scheme has now expanded to cater for over 200 choristers performing in a variety of ensembles: Primary Girls, Junior Girls, Boys, Youth and Codetta, an internationally recognised adult chamber choir.
Dónal has worked extensively as a performer, conductor and adjudicator. He has served as an executive member of the National Association of Music Educators and on the editorial board of the British Journal of Music Education. He is currently an executive member of the Federation of Music Services and a board member of both the Ulster Youth Orchestra and the Ulster Youth Choir.
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