Prof. Péter 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.

Dr. Brady R. Allred, U.SA.

Artistic Director and Conductor of the Salt Lake Choral Artists in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. Brady R. Allred has developed “an international reputation for excellence.”· Under his direction the Salt Lake Choral Artists, a community choir of 200 singers, has achieved critical acclaim for their innovative concerts and Summer Choral Institute program. Formerly Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and the first recipient of the Ellen Neilson Barnes Presidential Endowed Chair for Choral Studies at the University of Utah, Dr. Allred was recently selected by The Salt Lake Tribune as one of Utah’s Top 25 Cultural Power Brokers.

Known around the world for “exquisite choral singing,” Dr. Allred’s ensembles have been invited to participate in major festivals, completed many international tours and have earned awards for performances of their commissioned pieces.

Prior to his work in Utah, Dr. Allred was the Music Director and Conductor for the Butler Symphony Orchestra, Director of Choral Activities at Duquesne University, and Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh.· He regularly adjudicates at international choral competitions, is invited as a guest conductor and has performed with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers and the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus. Dr. Allred is also known for his innovative programming, and regularly commissions new works for his ensembles.

Dr. Allred earned his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting degrees from the Eastman School of Music, and his Bachelor of Music degree in Theory/Composition and Flute Performance from Brigham Young University.

Carl Høgset, Norway

He has also won 1st prizes in international contests with the Norwegian Youth Choir: Arezzo, Spittal, and Cantonigros. This choir won “Il Gran Premio Città di Arezzo” in 2002.

Mr. Høgset made his debut as a countertenor in a solo recital in Oslo in 1977. His solo-CD recording with songs by Purcell, Handel, Grieg and Nordheim was released in 1995. He is a member of the vocal quartet Quattro Stagioni.

Carl Høgset teaches choir conducting and singing technique both home and abroad, and he is often invited as a jury member in national and international choir contests. 
He is Knight of the St. Olav Order, appointed in 2007 by the King of Norway for his achievements in the choral field both home and abroad.

Since 1992 he has been involved in voice research with Professor Johan Sundberg of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Carl Høgset has created the Singing Technique program presented in a booklet including exercises recorded on CD and video. This booklet has already been translated into English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

Bernie Sherlock, Ireland

Bernie Sherlock received her training in choral conducting during two years of study in Hungary with Peter Erdei and Ildikó Herboly Kocsár. She subsequently continued her studies with Gerhard Markson and earned her Masters in conducting from NUI Maynooth. She is a Lecturer in Music at the DIT Conservatory (where she was Choral Director for 10 years) and also in Trinity College, Dublin, where she was musical director of the DU Choral Society from 1999-2008.

Her choir New Dublin Voices has established itself as one of Ireland’s leading chamber choirs since its formation in 2005. Known for its television, radio and recording work and for its innovative concert programming, NDV is also prominent on the international competition circuit with major prizes from elite competitions in France, Germany, Hungary, Finland, and Italy, including·the Grand Prix at the 2009 Budapest International Choir Competition where Bernie was also awarded the Interkultur Special Prize for best conductor. NDV was awarded the Second Prize and the Schumann/Europe Award in the Fleischmann International Competition in 2010, where Bernie won the International Jury Award to a conductor for the performance of an imaginative and artistic programme.

She is Musical Director of the Culwick Choral Society, the oldest choir of its type in Ireland, with which she continues to explore the major repertoire for large choir. She·is in demand as an adjudicator and teacher of conducting and is Artistic Director of Educational Programmes for the Association of Irish Choirs including the annual Conducting Summer School.

Jean-Claude Wilkens, Belgium

Born of a family where music was an important part of life, Jean-Claude Wilkens studied music at the same time of mathematic in Liège Royal Conservatory both in Belgium, and much later in the Luxemburg Conservatory in the class of choir conducting of Pierre Cao. He has also attended workshops of choir conducting where he could listen to the advice of maestro as Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Philippe Caillard, Fernando Eldoro or Eric Ericson.

His teaching career in secondary schools was diverted to that of cultural management, first in Jeunesses Musicales where he was director, and then in the International Federation for Choral Music where he was Secretary General for 20 years. He is presently Manager of the French National choral organisation and its publishing house “A Coeur Joie”

His professional activities are closely linked with choir music and choir musicians, and therefore, makes him well known on the international choral scene. Jean-Claude Wilkens is conducting the woman vocal ensemble Hodie in Belgium, group that have received awards and recognition all over the world.

Orla Flanagan, Ireland

Orla Flanagan is a lecturer in the Department of Music at Trinity College, Dublin. She completed her training as a choral conductor with Péter Erdei at the Zoltán Kodály Institute of Music, Hungary, and has also participated in conducting courses and masterclasses throughout Europe with Gary Graden, Carlo Pavese, Anders Eby, Celso Antunes and George Hurst.

Orla’s mixed-voice choir, The Mornington Singers, has been awarded numerous prizes throughout Ireland, including the International Grand Prix at Sligo Choral Festival 2009, First Prize in the lyric fm Choirs for Christmas Competition and Third Prize in the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition 2008. In 2006 Orla gained the International Jury Award to a conductor at the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, and in April 2009 she was awarded a special prize for the interpretation of the compulsory Slovenian work at the 10th International Choral Competition, Maribor, Slovenia. She frequently adjudicates at Irish choral festivals, most recently in Arklow, Cork, Derry, New Ross and Waterford.

Orla also directs Milltown Chamber Choir, a nine-voice professional vocal ensemble based in Milltown Church, Dublin, and has recorded and performed as a guest conductor with the National Chamber Choir of Ireland.

Blánaid Murphy, Ireland

Recognised as one of Ireland’s pre-eminent teachers of young voices, Blánaid Murphy studied music in Cambridge University, where she also held an organ
scholarship and subsequently furthered her music studies at Stuttgart’s Musikhochschule.
Blánaid has extensive experience as a conductor and vocal coach throughout Europe and, since 1993 has been based in Dublin where amongst her appointments she has been Choral Director of the RTÉ children’s choir Cór na nÓg, the Carlow Choral Society, the Dublin Bach Singers and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Blánaid also appeared as Chorus Master of the Irish Philharmonic Chorus on the record-breaking Faith of Our Fathers CD.

Bach Singers and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Blánaid also appeared as Chorus Master of the Irish Philharmonic Chorus on the record-breaking Faith of Our Fathers CD.
Beyond her daily commitment to the musical life of St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, the city of Dublin and greater Ireland, 2010 has found Blánaid directing performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, several of his cantatas, and conducting the Palestrina Choir on successful tours to the USA and Belgium.