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View the 2013 Programme

Posted by: corkchoral In: 17 Dec 2013 Comments: 0

Cork International Choral Festival is one of Europe’s premier choral festivals and annually attracts some 35,000 visitors and 5,000 singers. From 1 – 5 May 2013 Cork once again welcomed choirs from across the world for a programme of gala and fringe concerts, national and international competition, and world-class performances.

Thousands of participants brought the city to life for a celebration of choral music in all its many forms. Incorporating a strong competitive element, the festival provided a unique opportunity to witness top Irish and international choirs competing in the beautiful setting of Cork City Hall. Competitions ran throughout the Festival, with the prestigious Fleischmann International Trophy Competition, a premier prize in European choral music, providing a thrilling climax to a jubilant five days of song. In addition, visiting choirs from around the world brought song and laughter to a diverse range of venues as part of the Choral Trail, where voices spilled out from restaurants, bars, galleries and public spaces across the city.

Please click below to view the 2013 Festival Programme

CCF_PROGRAMME_2013.indd

 

VOCES8

Posted by: Andrew Miller In: 05 Dec 2013 Comments: 0

Voces8 front page

VOCES8  [UK]

ACES HIGH

Thursday 1st May

8pm

Cork City Hall

Presenter: Evelyn Grant
Tickets: €30/€20/€15

 

“Rich sounds of beautifully blended voices intertwining in pristine velvety textures’’ –  Malcolm Miller, Classical Music Daily

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most exciting and versatile vocal groups in the world will take to the stage in City Hall to present a top-class co-production with repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony to unique Jazz and Pop arrangements. The multi-award-winning ensemble will travel to Cork as part of an extensive European Tour. In addition VOCES8 will also perform in the USA, Dubai, Indonesia, Korea, Moscow, and for “La Folle Journee” in Nantes and Tokyo in 2014.

VOCES8 will present a programme based on the theme of James Bond that showcases VOCES8’s greatest Jazz and Pop arrangements to accompany the hit CD release, ‘Aces High’.

 

hPROGRAMME

Goldeneye – Bono and The Edge arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
I Got Rhythm – George Gershwin
Fever – Otis Blackwell arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Only You – Yazoo arr. VOCES8
Straighten Up and Fly Right – Nat ‘King’ Cole arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Feeling Good – Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Mrs Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel arr. Paul Smith from VOCES8
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Freddie Mercury arr. Jim Clements
Timshel – Mumford & Sons arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Jailhouse Rock
– Elvis Presley arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Free as a Bird – The Beatles arr. Jim Clements
Twist and Shout – The Beatles arr. Andrea from VOCES8

Interval

Skyfall – Adele arr. VOCES8
Maria from ‘West Side Story’ – Leonard Bernstein arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Sway – arr. VOCES8
You Only Live Twice and For Your Eyes Only – Conti, Lesson, Bricusse and Barry arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Price Tag – Jessie J arr. VOCES8
Nobody Does it Better – Hamlisch and Bayer-Sager arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8
Slap that Bass – George Gershwin arr. Jim Clements for VOCES8

 


Voces8 Group PromoVOCES8

VOCES8 is one of the most exciting and versatile vocal groups in the world. The multi award winning ensemble fulfils an international annual touring schedule across Europe, the USA, Asia and Africa. Performance venues include the Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Tel Aviv Opera House, National Concert Hall Taipei, Cite de la Musique in Paris, Dijon Opera House, National Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing and Shanghai Concert Hall. Highlights of the 2013/2014 season include an extensive European concert schedule in addition to tours to the USA, Indonesia, Finland, Dubai, Moscow, St Petersburg and for “La Folle Journee” in Nantes and Tokyo.

With a specialism in classical choral music, the group performs repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony to unique Jazz and Pop arrangements. The ensemble regularly commissions and collaborates with world-renowned contemporary composers including Ola Gjeilo, Roxanna Panufnik, Thomas Hewitt Jones, Alexander Levine and Ben Parry. VOCES8 is delighted to be in partnership with the acclaimed arranger, Jim Clements as Arranger in Residence.

With an ongoing programme of recordings and live broadcast, VOCES8 is heard regularly on international television and radio, including Deutschlandradio Kultur, ARTE TV, Radio France Musique, BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. VOCES8 is a Decca Classics Artist and has a busy and exciting release schedule that includes the album ‘Eventide’, which is available from February 2014. The ensemble has also recorded a series of award-winning discs for Signum Classics, including ‘Choral Tapestry’, ‘Bach Motets’, ‘Aces High’ and ‘Christmas’. In 2013, the ensemble was nominated for seven CARA Awards, winning in the categories for Best Classical Album and Best Classical Song. VOCES8 is an Ambassador for Edition Peters with whom it publishes arrangements and educational material, including the ‘VOCES8 Songbook’ and the ‘VOCES8 Method’.

Outreach and Education are at the core of VOCES8’s work and the group is delighted to be the flagship performance and education ensemble of the charitable music foundation, Voces Cantabiles Music (VCM). The ensemble leads an innovative series of music education workshops reaching 20,000 people annually around the world with the aim of inspiring creativity and excellence through music. The innovative education work of VCM has received praise from UNESCO. In 2013 VCM established the Gresham Centre in partnership with the Diocese of London, a vocal Centre for Excellence at Sir Christopher Wren’s beautiful St Anne & St Agnes Church, in the City of London. VOCES8 is also resident ensemble at Bedford School, Ardingly College, The Grey Coat Hospital and Milton Abbey.

Artistic collaborations with orchestras have included the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra and period ensemble Les Inventions. VOCES8 has received support from Arts Council England, the Musicians Benevolent Fund and the Worshipful Company of Musicians. The group is also grateful for the support of official sponsor, T.M.Lewin.

 

mzl.cjaxwdnfTickets: €30/€20/€15

Buy tickets now! 

Festival Box Office @ The Everyman

MacCurtain St. Cork

Tel: 021 450 1673

Web: www.everymancork.com

Chamber Choir Ireland

Posted by: corkchoral In: 06 Dec 2013 Comments: 0

CCI Front Page

Chamber Choir Ireland

[FESTIVAL CHOIR IN RESIDENCE]

WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN

Paul Hillier conductor
Friday 2nd May
7.30pm
St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral
Tickets: €20

 

“The heights of excellence … subtle and imaginative” – Irish Examiner

 

 

In 2014 Ireland’s premier ensemble and Festival Choir in Residence, Chamber Choir Ireland (formerly The National Chamber Choir of Ireland), perform their annual concert in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. Conductor Paul Hillier will lead the ensemble through an exciting and unique programme to mark this important milestone Festival. A newly commissioned piece from composer David Fennessy will be premiered on the night in addition to a premier performance of the winning composition from the 2014 Séan Ó Riada Competition for Irish composers.



hConcert Programme

David Lang – When we were children

John Tavener – The Lamb

Steve Martland – Sea Songs: (i)Dance to your Daddy ; (ii) Fire down below

Steve Martland – Street Songs: Jenny Jones

Donal Mac Erlaine – Solomon Grundy

WORLD PREMIERE

Malcolm Williamson – The Musicians of Bremen

David Fennessy – Letter to Michael

WORLD PREMIERE

Michael Gordon – The Bird Watcher

John Tavener – Song for Athene

 

 

 

131210_J1_003

CHAMBER CHOIR IRELAND

Chamber Choir Ireland is the country’s flagship choral ensemble. Under the internationally celebrated and multi award winning choral conductor Paul Hillier as Artistic Director, the Choir is known for its unique approach to programming and has gained a reputation for the high artistic quality of its performances. The Choir remains a thriving force on a very active choral scene both at home and abroad.

Since its inception, the Choir has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary Irish choral music through its commitment to commissioning new work. The Choir’s repertoire spans from early to contemporary music, regularly commissioning pioneering vocal work by composers such as Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton, Siobhán Cleary, Jennifer Walshe, Kevin Volans and Tarik O’Regan.

The Choir has a strong commitment to touring in Ireland and continues to develop its touring network in order to present high quality choral concerts to audiences all around the country.

Internationally, the Choir has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and South America and in 2011 undertook its first US tour with the assistance of Culture Ireland as part of Imagine Ireland, a year of Irish Arts in America 2011.

Recordings in 2011 include One Day Fine on the RTE Lyric FM label and Acallam na Senórach on the Harmonia Mundi label, and a publication of Choirland: An Anthology of Irish Choral Music in association with the Contemporary Music Centre and the Association of Irish Choirs.

The Choir continues to foster relationships with other distinguished Irish performing ensembles and arts organisations such as the Crash Ensemble, the Irish Baroque Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Contemporary Music Centre and the Association of Irish Choirs. The Choir enjoys a unique relationship with Cork International Choral festival with which it collaborates on an annual basis as Choir in Residence.



Portr+ªt_2013-10-0724060PAUL HILLIER 

Paul Hillier is from Dorset in England and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His career has embraced singing, conducting, and writing about music. Earlier in his career he was founding director of the Hilliard Ensemble, and subsequently founded Theatre of Voices. He has taught in the USA at the University of California campuses at Santa Cruz and Davis, and from 1996-2003 was Director of the Early Music Institute at Indiana University. He was Principal Conductor of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2001-2007) and has been Chief Conductor of Ars Nova Copenhagen since 2003.

His recordings, over a hundred CDs including seven solo recitals, have earned worldwide acclaim and won numerous prizes. His books about Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich, together with numerous anthologies of choral music, are published by Oxford University Press.

In 2006 he was awarded an OBE for services to choral music. In 2007 he received the Order of the White Star of Estonia, and was awarded a Grammy for Best Choral Recording. In 2008 he took up the position of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and in 2009 was invited to form the new Coro Casa da Musica in Porto, Portugal. In 2010 he won a second Grammy (this time in the small ensemble category), for Theatre of Voices’ recording of David Lang’s ‘The Little Match Girl Passion’ (which also won a Pulitzer Prize), together with a selection of choral works by Lang, sung by Ars Nova Copenhagen.

mzl.cjaxwdnf

Tickets: €20
Buy tickets now!

Festival Box Office @ The Everyman

MacCurtain St. Cork

Tel: 021 450 1673

Web: www.everymancork.com

Evocations: Madrigal ‘75

Posted by: corkchoral In: 06 Dec 2013 Comments: 0

Evocations front page

Evocations Madrigal ‘75

Friday 2nd May

10.30pm

Cathedral St. Mary & St. Anne (North Cathedral)

“One of Ireland’s finest Chamber Choirs”

Irish Examiner

 

 

 

 

 

A celebrated late night concert with a sacred and reflective atmosphere, this year’s 60th celebration Evocations concert will feature Cork based vocal ensemble Madrigal ‘75. Founded in 1975, the ensemble has developed a reputation as a vocal ensemble of great skill and beauty and perform repertoire ranging from early to modern music, both sacred and secular.


hjProgramme
 

Nunc Dimittis, H127 (Luke 2:29-32)                             Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

There will come soft rains (Sara Teasdale)                    Ivor Antognini (b. 1963)

Proch Dolor                                                                                  Anonymous (c.1523)

Immortal Bach                                                                         Knut Nystedt (b. 1915)

Civitas Sancti Tui (Isaiah 64:10)                                 William Byrd (1542/3-1623)

A Good-Night (Francis Quarles)                      Richard Rodney Bennett (b. 1936)

Stars (Sara Teasdale)                                                         Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977)

Santiago (from Path of Miracles)                                            Joby Talbot (b. 1971)

 

M75 photo Feb 2014Madrigal ’75 Vocal Ensemble

Madrigal ’75 is a vocal ensemble based in Cork City.  Founded in 1975 by university students, the choir now comprises a diverse combination of singers from all walks of life.  Madrigal ’75 has developed a reputation as a vocal ensemble of great skill and beauty, performing repertoire from as early as the 14th century right through to contemporary choral works, both sacred and secular, including first performances of new commissions.

In 2005 Madrigal ’75 was a prominent participant in the Cork European Capital of Culture events and toured France as cultural ambassadors for the city.  Madrigal ’75 is also the winner of the Carols for Christmas 2006 and 2012 competitions on RTE Lyric FM. Other successes include Best Choir at the Montreux Festival, several Best Performances and First Prize awards at successive Cork International Choral Festivals, and the Irish Choir of the Year award. In 2013, Madrigal ’75 paid a return visit to Montreux and was the highest placed choir in the mixed-voice category as well as being a Grand Prix Finalist.

The choir has performed with several of Ireland’s leading ensembles, including the RTE Vanbrugh String Quartet and the Orchestra of St Cecilia. In 2008 and 2011 respectively, the choir presented the closing and opening concerts of the prestigious East Cork Early Music Festival.

Since January 2007, Madrigal ’75 has been directed by James Taylor, organist and harpsichordist, who, having held posts in the UK, New Zealand and Canada, now lectures at CIT Cork School of Music and is Assistant Director of Music at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.

Limited Early Bird Tickets Available Early Bird

mzl.cjaxwdnf

Tickets: €15

Buy tickets now!

Festival Box Office @ The Everyman

MacCurtain St. Cork

Tel: 021 450 1673

Web: www.everymancork.com

2019 Packages

Posted by: corkchoral In: 10 Dec 2018 Comments: 0

Irelands Ancient EastIt’s never too early to start planning!

Cork International Choral Festival is proud to be at the maritime gateway of Ireland’s Ancient East path. As Cork’s oldest Festival, it is guaranteed to bring you on a journey steeped in history as well as cultural prestige.

It is this special union of times gone by and story-telling that creates true magic for the ultimate unforgettable experience. Ireland’s Ancient East offers tourists a chance to peel back the layers of time and experience 5,000 years of European history in a compact area, all starting in Cork.

To aid you in your Ancient East discovery, the Cork International Choral Festival has developed key Festival packages to help you begin your journey. These 5 day packages have been developed in association with some of our key accommodation partners offering the visitor the following perks:

  • 5 nights’ accommodation and breakfast each morning in Cork
  • A Festival Ticket which offers access to all Choral Festival events over the 5 days of the Festival
  • Negotiated discounts in a range of partner restaurants.

In addition we offer the opportunity to visit a number of tourist attractions around the city and county including Shandon Bells, Cork City Gaol, Blarney Castle and Fota Wildlife Park where you’ll surely make lots of choral memories!

The team at Cork International Choral Festival are experienced in delivering these itineraries and will be happy to work with you to ensure that the needs of your tour group can be met and surpassed.

Tickets or packages are not yet on sale but can be booked directly and in advance through the office by contacting elaine@corkchoral.ie

Ireland's Ancient East

2019 Gala Concerts

Posted by: corkchoral In: 07 Dec 2018 Comments: 0

The time has come to announce the Gala Concerts for the 65th Cork International Choral Festival, 1st-5th May 2019!

We are thrilled to welcome such great international talents to Cork. Box office for the Gala Concerts is now open. Book your ticket and make the perfect gift for your loved ones.

We can’t wait to have you all with us in 2019!

 

 

Chamber Choir Ireland

Posted by: corkchoral In: 07 Dec 2018 Comments: 0
Friday 3rd May 2019, 7.30 pm
St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral

 

 

Choir-In-Residence Chamber Choir Ireland will once again grace the Festival with its presence for a concert in the beautiful surrounds of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral.

Their programme, the third in a series of four, is titled ‘Before Bach and After’ and spread across the 2018-19 season in which Chamber Choir Ireland will present the complete motets of Bach, together with related works by Brahms, Schütz, and a variety of medieval and contemporary composers.

In this programme, the music of Bach alternates with three contemporary works, which are all by women and shift the focus of the texts and indeed the musical inspiration significantly beyond and away from the Western tradition.

In addition to this unique performance, the winning composition of the 2019 Seán Ó Riada composition competition will receive its premiere performance by Chamber Choir Ireland on the same night.

Prgramme

Komm Jesu komm —J.S. Bach
As I crossed a bridge of dreams — Anne Boyd
Fuga V — J.S. Bach
Guard my tongue — Julia Wolfe
Zion hört die Wächter singen — J.S. Bach
Horo Horo Hata Hata — Santa Ratniece
Lobet dem Herrn — J.S. Bach

A note from Artistic Director Paul Hillier.

“Johann Sebastian Bach’s motets enjoy a special kind of status in the choral repertoire. They contain sophisticated, almost self-consciously brilliant music of high quality and rich invention; they also make virtuoso demands of any vocalists who dare to perform them! At times it can seem as if their very eminence has isolated them, so that as musical works they appear to be floating in a genre of their own making. Yet it is a porous identity, for there are other works or bits of works by Bach that claim our attention, and while although composed only seven motets and a handful of arrangements, there are over two hundred cantatas.. Are those seven really so special? In fact I believe they are, and just as orchestras like to push themselves by presenting a cycle of, say, the nine Beethoven symphonies, so we in our more intimate domain felt inspired to present a cycle of Bach motets. But we also aim in this series of four concerts to place them in a wider historical context and examine just what a ‘motet’ has been and what it might be today: both before Bach therefore, and after.”

 

 

Ticket Exchange/Refund
Once purchased tickets cannot be exchanged or refunds given. Refunds will only be made in the event of a cancelled performance.

2019 Fleischmann International Gala Concert

Posted by: corkchoral In: 07 Dec 2018 Comments: 0

Saturday 4th May 2019, 3.00 pm & 8.00 pm

Cork City Hall

 

 

This two-session concert will offer audiences the opportunity to hear some of the world’s top amateur choirs competing for the Fleischmann International Trophy, one of the most prestigious choral prizes in Europe. Judged by a panel of eminent musicians and choral experts, the competition will be presented in a concert format and will feature music from Renaissance to contemporary and compositions from each choir’s home country. It is a real opportunity for audiences to discover a range of interesting music sung to a very high standard.

 

The Cork International Choral Festival would like to thank Celtic Horizon Tours for being again on board as Event Sponsor of the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition.

 

2019 Fleischmann International Gala Concert will comprise of two sessions:

Session 1
Saturday 4th May 2019, 3.00 pm

Session 2
Saturday 4th May 2019, 8.00 pm

 

2019 Fleischmann International Trophy Competition Choirs

Kamarikuoro Addictio, Finland
KYL Helsinki Academic Male Choir, Finland
Kamarikuoro Näsi, Finland
Hamburg Academy of Music And Theatre, Germany
Mornington Singers, Ireland
The Women’s Choral Society of the University of Oslo, Norway
Dominanta Choir, Poland
Chamber Choir KGBL, Slovenia
Bella Voce – Lunds studentsångerskor, Sweden
Korallerna, Sweden
Petrosyan Chamber Choir, Ukraine

 

Admission:
€10 afternoon only (Session 1), Family Ticket €15 (2+2 or 3+1) afternoon only. Tickets available at the door.
€26/€21/€21 Combined entry to 3 pm (Session 1) and 8 pm (Session 2).
(Subject to booking fee)

 

 

Ticket Exchange/Refund
Once purchased tickets cannot be exchanged or refunds given. Refunds will only be made in the event of a cancelled performance.

2019 Fleischmann Competitive Choirs

Posted by: corkchoral In: 07 Dec 2018 Comments: 0

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.

PUST

Posted by: corkchoral In: 07 Dec 2018 Comments: 0

Thursday 2nd May 2019, 8.00 pm

Cork City Hall

 

 

Every year the Cork International Choral Festival brings some of the finest international vocal ensembles on stage for the Thursday Gala Concert.

For this 65th Festival a breath of fresh air will liven up Cork City Hall. PUST (breath, in Norwegian) are a source of vocal pleasure hailing from Oslo. Their compositions reverberate gracefully between Scandinavian folk, jazzy tones, and all sorts of worldly and natural sounds. At times fragile, at others expressive, PUST is a listening experience and nothing short of an aural exploration of the soul and landscape of the European north.

Since the start in 2003 the group has recorded 5 albums, all of them highly acclaimed. They have received nominations for CARA Awards (the Grammy of rhythmical a cappella music) and the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy Award; ‘Spellemannprisen’. Their beautiful Christmas repertoire has captured the heart of the Norwegian audience, and Julero (Christmas Calm) was one of the bestselling Norwegian Christmas albums in 2011. The critic in Norway’s leading newspaper Aftenposten concluded that it’s “a Christmas album for eternity”.

The group is frequently invited to popular Norwegian festivals, as well as being guest artist at international vocal festivals in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria and Taiwan. PUST has shared concerts with Bobby McFerrin and The Manhattan Transfer (among others).

The members of PUST are Camilla Susann Haug (soprano), Anne Hilde Grøv (soprano), Elisabeth Anvik (alto), Jostein Hasselgård (tenor), Håvard Gravdal (baritone) and Mads Iversen (bass).

 

 

 

Ticket Exchange/Refund
Once purchased tickets cannot be exchanged or refunds given. Refunds will only be made in the event of a cancelled performance.

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