The Cork International Choral Festival is proud to host the second edition of the International Choral Conducting Course as part of the festival.
Join us for a four-day intensive, hands-on course where you will develop your conducting skills under the leadership of our expert international guest tutors, Friederike Woebcken, Professor at University of the Arts Bremen and Erik Westberg, Professor of Choral Conducting and Choral Singing at the School of Music at Luleå University of Technology.
The course is designed for anyone with experience in leading choirs of all kinds and is interested in taking their skills to a new level while networking with other conductors.
Studied music education, conducting choral and English in Freiburg (Germany) and Glasgow (Great Britain) and participated in an advanced course in choir direction held by Eric Ericson in Stockholm (Sweden). Friederike's ideal and vision of a perfect choral sound as well as her love of Northern European repertoire was shaped by her studies in Stockholm and her long collaboration with Eric Ericson. As a lecturer in the Department of Music at the University of Kiel, she helped establish a number of student choirs. Read full bio
Studied choral conducting with Eric Ericson at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm 1976–1987. He has been the leader of numerous choirs, including the YMCA Choir in Stockholm and the Oslo Philharmonic Choir, and he has also been guest conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir. Internationally, Erik Westberg has been engaged as guest conductor for Pro Coro Canada, Coro Nacional de España, Coro Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, and Jauna Muzika, Lithuania. He has also been Artist-in-Residence at Wollongong University, Australia. Since 2018 he is artistic director of the Swedish Youth Choir (Sveriges Ungdomskör). Read full bio
Garnering a strong reputation for its unique approach to creative commissioning, recording and programming, Chamber Choir Ireland is the country’s flagship choral ensemble and national chamber choir under the Artistic Direction of the multi-award-winning conductor, Paul Hillier. The Choir’s programmes span from early renaissance to the present day, incorporating established choral classics with cutting-edge commissions, and a style of performance that incorporates versatility, dynamism and often vocal pyrotechnics. Chamber Choir Ireland performances have been described as having a tone which is ‘liquid in its power and purity’ with a ‘strong vocal flexibility of style’ (Belfast Telegraph). 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 around the country. International touring has included the USA, UK, Belgium, Russia, Germany and South America. Read full bio
Cork City (venue TBC)
Ensemble Workshop with Chamber Choir Ireland (public event)
Repertoire will be selected by the tutors as a guide to the course content. If you have other repertoire which you would like to work on, please send a copy to the Choral Festival Office for approval by Monday 13th March 2023. You will be asked to bring to the course multiple legal copies of any repertoire which has been approved in this way.
All delegates should prepare at least one, but preferably two pieces in advance of arriving and be prepared to work on them with the tutors.
The three categories into which the repertoire has been split are intended as a guide only, and delegates can freely choose which music they would prefer to conduct.
Johannes Brahms – Waldesnacht op. 62 no. 3
Maurice Duruflé – Ubi caritas
Camille Saint-Saëns – Les fleurs et les arbres op. 68 no. 2
Benjamin Britten – The Evening Primrose op. 47 no. 4
Gustav Holst – I love my love
Johannes Brahms – Verlorene Jugend op. 104 no. 4
Knut Nystedt – Gloria (from Missa brevis op. 102)
Cecilia McDowall – O no, John! (no. 4 from A Fancy of Folksongs) accompanied
Jake Runestad – I will lift mine eyes
Max Reger – Nachtlied op. 138 no. 3
Francis Poulenc – Timor et tremor (from Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence)
Suzzie Vango – Gaudete SSATB version
Arvo Pärt – Bogoróditse Djévo
10th February 2023
The registration fee must be paid by bank transfer to the Cork International Choral Festival’s account by the registration closing date.
Bank details
Recipient: Cork International Choral Festival
Bank: Allied Irish Banks plc, Patrick’s Street, Cork, Ireland
IBAN: IE85 AIBK 9341 5105 1954 48
BIC: AIBKIE2D
Account Number: 05195448
Sort Code: 93 41 51
NOTE: Please ensure that your name of choir is noted on bank transfer.
Participants booking tickets for our Gala Concerts can avail of a reduction of 15% on all Gala concerts. A discount code will be sent to all participants after registration.
By Plane
Cork International Airport operates flights to and from a wide range of international destinations.
Shannon International Airport (approximately 120km from Cork) and Dublin Airport (approximately 220km) cater for a wider range of destinations, with internal flights also in operation between Dublin and Cork.
By Train
Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann provide regular mainline Intercity services to Kent Station, Cork from Belfast Central, Dublin Heuston and Connolly Station, Limerick.
By Bus
Bus Éireann offer a nationwide service to and from Cork, with Expressway/Intercity services. They also offer regional services if you plan to see some of the county and a Cork City service to get around town while here.
Each year the Festival compiles an Accommodation Guide with specially negotiated accommodation rates for attendees and visiting choirs.
In addition, we team up with the city’s best restaurants, bars, tourist sights and transport providers so that choirs are offered the best deals in town. View the Food & Drink Trail.
It is a condition of participation that participants agree that:
The process and cost of Visas are the sole responsibility of the participant. The Festival will support a participant through a letter of support on request.
