VOCES8  [UK]

Addictio Chamber Choir (Finland)

The Addictio Chamber Choir was founded in 2005 under conductor Anna Nora and aims to combine high artistic standards with innovative and joyful performances. The choir has an extensive repertoire ranging from contemporary music to renaissance masterpieces and musical theatre. In 2016, Addictio won first prize in the sacred music category at the Cracovia Cantans International Choir Competition and in 2013, they were awarded golden diplomas at both Tampere Vocal Music Festival and Canto sul Garda International Choir Competition. They have also taken part in the renowned Harald Andersén Chamber Choir Competition, once in 2009 and more recently, in 2016.

Since 2013, the choir’s artistic director has been Elisa Huovinen, a graduate of the Sibelius Academy and the current chairperson of the Finnish Choral Conductors’ Association. In 2018, Elisa won the Gheorghe Dima International Music Competition for choral conductors in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and was also the winner of the inaugural Finnish Choral Conductors’ Competition in Tampere; other awards include the Conductor’s Prize at the Cracovia Cantans International Choir Competition in Kraków in 2016. Elisa is often invited to conduct and work with many reputable choirs such as the Somnium Ensemble, EMO Ensemble, Tapiolan kuoro, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Estonian National Male Choir.

KYL Helsinki Academic Male Choir (Finland)

The KYL (“Kauppakorkeakoulun Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat”) Helsinki Academic Male Choir was founded in 1949 with many of its members being students and alumni of the Aalto University School of Business. A traditional yet virile league of gentlemen, the choir has been an energetic and well-recognised part of the Finnish musical establishment. Throughout the years, it has provided its listeners with repertoire ranging from classical Finnish compositions to more modern and lighter music – not to mention serenades, drinking songs and traditional Christmas concerts.

The choir performs frequently in Finland as well as touring extensively abroad. In recent years, the choir has travelled to Estonia, Iceland, Spain, Denmark, Japan and the United States. In 2011, the choir won first prize at the International Male Voice Choir Competition in Cornwall, England, and placed first in the International Leevi Madetoja Male Voice Choir Competition in Espoo, Finland, in 2010.

Since January 2018, the KYL has been conducted by Visa Yrjölä (b. 1992) who recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Choral Conducting from the Sibelius Academy. Visa has participated in several masterclasses working with Cappella Amsterdam, the Helsinki Chamber Choir, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir and the Croatian Radio Television Choir, as well as exchange studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Alongside his work with KYL, Visa also conducts two award-winning groups, the Kaamos Chamber Choir and the Euga Male Voice Choir. In 2013, the Tampere Vocal Music Festival awarded him the special prize of the most promising young conductor, and in June 2018 he won the award for Best Conductor at the Bratislava Choral Festival.

Kamarikuoro Näsi (Finland)

Kamarikuoro Näsi, founded in 1999, is a mixed-voice chamber choir from Tampere, Finland. Comprised of both professional musicians and experienced amateurs, the choir is known for its passionate, harmonious and unified sound, giving great joy to both its singers and audiences. In recent years, the choir has risen to the forefront of Finnish choral music having been awarded gold medals at both the Tampere Vocal Music Festival and Cracovia Cantans International Choir Competition. The group’s ambitious repertoire is incredibly diverse, ranging from early music to contemporary works and newly commissioned pieces. The choir works closely with the Tampere Music Academy, providing a platform for advanced choral conductors and composers, as well as collaborating on larger choral productions.

In 2017, Kamarikuoro Näsi released its first album “Lumen Juhla” (“Celebration of Snow”) and features a programme of old and new Christmas music from the Finnish, Scandinavian and British traditions, with Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” as the main featured work.

The choir is conducted by Markus Yli-Jokipii who, in 2017, was chosen as Choral Conductor of the Year by the Finnish Choral Conductors’ Association.

Hamburg Academy of Music And Theatre (Germany)

The Hamburg Academy of Music and Theatre Choir was formed in September 2013 with its members drawn from auditioned students of the Academy. The choir offers experienced singers the opportunity to work on choral repertoire to a high level and also functions as a training ensemble for those students who wish to acquire the requisite skills. Weekly rehearsals aim to develop each member’s choral skills and vocal technique, and provide an opportunity for conducting students to lead rehearsals and conduct parts of concerts.

The choir performs a cappella repertoire from all historical periods and regularly collaborates with the Academy Orchestra on larger works, including oratorios. Their conductor, Professor Cornelius Trantow, is Professor of Choral Conducting at the Academy, a post he has held since 1999.

In October 2017, the choir won the Regional Choir Competition in Hamburg and went on to emerge victorious in the mixed choirs category at the National Choir Competition in Freiburg in May 2018, attaining the highest score awarded in the entire competition.

Mornington Singers (Ireland)

Mornington Singers is an award-winning mixed-voice choir based in Dublin, Ireland, and is conducted by Orla Flanagan. Founded in 1997, the choir performs a broad range of choral music and specialises in a cappella repertoire with a particular focus on music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Mornington Singers is committed to the promotion of choral music, including the commissioning of new pieces, public choral workshops and outreach events. In addition to these activities and its regular concert schedule, the choir has sung in live performances of video game music, at Electric Picnic, on film soundtracks, television, and in concert with Andrea Bocelli, Lesley Garrett and David Puttnam. The choir recently appeared as the main stage choir at Croke Park for the World Festival of Families in August 2018 in the presence of Pope Francis. Competition performances have included the Arezzo International Choral Competition, Florilège Vocal de Tours, Maribor International Choral Competition and, closer to home, the International Choral Festivals of Cork, Derry and Sligo.

Orla Flanagan is Assistant Professor of Music at Trinity College, Dublin, and has conducted Mornington Singers since 2002. She holds a BA in Music from Trinity College, Dublin, an Advanced Diploma from the Kodály Institute, Hungary, and a Doctorate of Music in Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In addition to her work with Mornington Singers, Orla gives choral workshops, adjudicates at festivals in Ireland and internationally, and has conducted professional ensembles including Milltown Chamber Choir, EnsemBéal and the National Chamber Choir of Ireland.

The Women’s Choral Society of the University of Oslo (Norway)

The KSS (“Kvindelige Studenters Sangforening”) Women’s Choral Society of the University of Oslo is the oldest female academic choir in the world having been founded in 1895. Throughout its long and distinguished history, the choir has managed to obtain an advanced level of musical understanding as well as play an important role in the wider women’s movement.

Today, KSS is an old and proud choir with long traditions while, at the same time, eager to seek out new challenges and experiences. It aspires to be distinguishable within the choral community, both domestically and abroad, and has placed with remarkable results in previous choral competitions. Alongside its high musical standards, the choir actively invests in the social side of choral singing by organising events and activities that help further the friendships amongst its members.

The choir is directed by Marit Tøndel Bodsberg Weyde, an established conductor who has worked with several of Norway’s leading choral ensembles as well as winning numerous national and international awards; in 2012, Marit was awarded the Conductor’s Prize at the Norwegian Choral Championship following a performance with KSS.

Dominanta Choir (Poland)

Founded in 1970, the Dominanta Choir is a mixed-voice ensemble made up of students and graduates from Kraków’s University of Economics. The choir’s wide repertoire includes early music and contemporary compositions, works by Polish composers, and collaborations with renowned musicians to perform large-scale choral works. Recent international successes have included a golden diploma and silver medal at “Siauliai Cantat” in Lithuania, the Grand Prix at the 2014 International Festival of Youth Choirs in St. Petersburg, and a special prize at the International Choral Festival in Antalya, Turkey.

Since October 2008, the choir has been conducted by Małgorzata Langer-Król who studied choral conducting at the Kraków Academy of Music under Professor Adam Korzeniowski. Following her work with the Dominanta Choir, Małgorzata won the prize for the Best Young Conductor at the Cracovia Cantans International Choir Competition in 2012, and in both 2011 and 2012, was awarded Best Conductor at competitions in Myślenice.

Chamber Choir KGBL (Slovenia)

The KGBL Chamber Choir was established in 2014 following a decision to rearrange the former choir at Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet into two separate groups. The Chamber Choir, consisting of about forty singers, gives its members the opportunity to improve their vocal technique, sing challenging and demanding choral repertoire, and perform to high standards. The choir regularly collaborates with vocal educators Edita Garčević Koželj and Tatjana Vasle, and has been assisted by conductors Petra Jerič, Tine Bec and Evgen Bibianko. The choir embraces a wide range of musical styles and genres, from the Renaissance to contemporary music. Over the past few years, the choir has commissioned new compositions from several prominent composers such as Lojze Lebič, Tadeja Vulc, Damijan Močnik, Črt Sojar-Voglar, Peter Šavli, Andrej Makor, Tine Bec and Matej Kastelic, performing their music at concerts both in Slovenia and further afield.

Recent successes have included second and third place at the 2015 International Choral Competition in Tallinn, Estonia; the Grand Prix in Moscow in 2016; first place at the National Choral Competition “Naša pesem” (“Our Song”) in Maribor, Slovenia, in 2016; and first place in the polyphonic category at the 2017 International Choral Competition in Tolosa, Spain. International engagements have included performances in Stockholm, Basel, Taipei and Beijing.

The choir is conducted by Ambrož Čopi who studied composition with Dane Škerl and Uroš Roko at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. In 1995, Ambrož won the Young Musician Award and two years later in 1997, the Prešeren Prize from the University of Ljubljana for outstanding achievements during the course of his studies. Working alongside Stojan Kuret, Ambrož has conducted choirs such as Chamber Choir Nova Gorica, Mixed Choir Obala, the University of Primorska Academic Choir and, of course, the KGBL Chamber Choir, winning fifteen gold medals nationally and placing first twenty-six times at competitions abroad. In 2014, he was awarded with the Gallus Medal, the highest national award for musical activity in Slovenia, and in 2016, received the Škerjanc Award from the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music and Ballet for outstanding artistic achievements along with the prestigious Prešeren Prize.

Bella Voce – Lunds studentsångerskor, Sweden

Bella Voce – Lunds Studentsångerskor is a Swedish female choir consisting of thirty-six members, most of which are students at Lund University. The choir was founded in 2000 and since then has established itself as one of the most vibrant choirs in the city of Lund. With great creativity and curiosity, the choir explores everything from Swedish classical music to folk music from all over the world. Throughout the year, the choir performs frequently at various concerts, with their traditional Lucia Concerts at Bosebo Church selling out every December.

Over the past two years, Bella Voce has competed at two International Choral Competitions arranged by Interkultur. On both occasions, the choir came home with gold diplomas having placed first in their categories.

Since 2014, the choir has been directed by Victoria Söderberg, a graduate of Malmö Academy of Music and the Conservatorium de Licthe Muziek in Groningen, the Netherlands. Asides from her work with Bella Voce, Victoria works extensively as a choral and vocal coach, and sings with the group Ladybird. Previously, she was a producer for Lund Choral Festival which has since become Sweden’s largest choral event.

Korallerna, Sweden

Korallerna is a well-established female choir from Lund, Sweden, and was founded in 1978 by Eva Svanholm Bohlin. Its members perform a wide range of music, everything from classical to modern compositions, and sacred to secular works.

The choir has a long tradition of participating at international choral festivals and currently ranks twenty-sixth on Interkultur’s World Ranking for Female Choirs, and No. 133 on the list of Interkultur’s Top 1000 Choirs. In May 2018, Korallerna received a gold medal and won the equal voice category at Helsingborgs Körfestival, and in 2017, won gold medals in the chamber choir and sacred music categories at Canta en Primavera, Malaga.

The choir’s conductor, Linda Alexandersson, is a composer, arranger and conductor based in Malmö and Lund. She graduated with a Masters Degree in Education from Malmö Academy of Music, specialising in composition and choral conducting, and recently won the jury’s Conductor’s Prize at Canta en Primavera, Malaga.

Petrosyan Chamber Choir, Ukraine

The Alexander Petrosyan National Technical University Chamber Choir was founded in the 1950s in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Since then, the choir has been a regular participant at various concerts, festivals and competitions, both in Ukraine and abroad. The choir’s repertoire includes classical, sacred, traditional Ukrainian and other ethnic music, as well as pieces by contemporary composers. The group enjoys travelling, receiving guests, learning new music and establishing new musical partnerships with other ensembles.

The choir consists mostly of students and alumni from the university who, despite the scientific nature of their studies, all adore singing and have made choral music one of their treasured pastimes.