Programme
Invited Choirs
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Artistic Director and Chief Conductor: Tõnu Kaljuste
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) is one of the best-known Estonian music ensembles in the world. The choir was founded in 1981 by Tõnu Kaljuste, who continued on as its artistic director and chief conductor for twenty years. From 2001–2007, the English musician Paul Hillier directed the choir. Daniel Reuss took over as chief conductor from 2008–2013 followed by Kaspars Putniņš from 2014–2021. Tõnu Kaljuste returned in 2021 and continues to operate as artistic director and chief conductor.
Batavia Madrigal Singers, Indonesia
Conductor: Avip Priatna
The Batavia Madrigal Singers, based out of Jakarta, Indonesia and winner of the 2022 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing, are one of the world's finest vocal ensembles. Founded in 1996, and directed since, by Avip Priatna, BMS performs choral works of various genres, styles and levels-of-difficulty while maintaining high artistic standards.
Fayha National Choir, Lebanon
Founder, Artistic Director and Conductor: Barkev Taslakian
Fayha National Choir of Lebanon conducted by Maestro Barkev Taslakian, was established in
2003 in the city of Tripoli. Today it has two more branches in Lebanon: Beirut, Chouf.
Fayha is internationally recognized as a standard for Arabic Acapella singing. The repertoire is
composed of mainly Arab songs reflecting different aspects of music in the region.
Georgia State University Singers, USA
Artistic Director and Conductor: Deanna Joseph
The international award-winning Georgia State University Singers (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) is the School of Music’s premier vocal ensemble. Selected by competitive audition, the choir of forty-five singers represents the diverse population of Georgia State University.
Le Chant Sur La Lowé, Gabon
Conductor: Pierre-Roger DIEL MOUITY
Founded in 1990, the vocal group “Le Chant sur la Lowé” is a mixed amateur choir counting about thirty members. Its vocation is to promote high quality vocal practice beyond the traditional ecclesiastical setting, hence reaching the secular circles in Gabon and beyond its
borders. Furthermore, its aim is to popularize the Gabonese musical heritage through the
interpretation of a diverse array of Gabonese folksongs in all the languages of the country.
Leioa Kantika Korala, Spain
Conductor: Basilio Astúlez
Leioa Kantika Korala was founded in 2000 at the Leioa Municipal Conservatory under the initiative of its conductor, Basilio Astúlez. Composed of 50 girls and boys aged between 11 and 20, all students of the conservatory, the prime objective is to foster within them a love of choral music and to expand their musical studies, covering the widest possible variety and breadth of styles and repertoire.
Orfeón San Juan Bautista
Founder and Artistic Director: Guarionex Morales-Matos
Conductor and Artistic Director: Daniel Alejandro Tapia-Santiago
Orfeón San Juan Bautista is Puerto Rican a professional chamber choral ensemble created in 2001. It is directed by professor Guarionex Morales-Matos (its founder) and doctor Daniel Alejandro Tapia-Santiago. Its repertoire includes sacred and secular works from the great universal traditions, as well as folkloric and popular pieces from Puerto Rico and Ibero-America. This diversity is featured in its seventeen titles discography.
Sofia Vokalensemble, Sweden
Founder and Conductor: Bengt Ollén
Sofia Vokalensemble was formed in 1995 by Bengt Ollén.
The choir’s performances are characterized by a warm, lyrical Swedish choral sound and a
stage presence that has gone a long way in international competitions.
Home ground is Sofia Church in Stockholm where the choir rehearses and performs several
concerts each year. Many of which are recorded by Swedish Radio.
Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Chinese Taipei
Conductor: Yu-Chung Johnny Ku
Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir (TPCC) is a 30-voice chamber choir from Chinese
Taipei. It was
established in 1993, out of the 150-voice Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (founded in1972).
TPCC has an impressive history of performing overseas. The choir has participated in various
International Choral Festivals, such as the 6th World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis/St. Paul, U.S.A. in 2002, Oregon Bach Festival in Eugene, U.S.A. in 2006, ACDA National Conventions in Chicago in 2011, Polyfollia Festival in Saint Lo, France in 2013, Next Wave Festival in New York, U.S.A. and Melbourne Festival in 2017, among others. In 2016, TPCC was invited to perform in the “Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta” in Vatican.
In addition to performing internationally, TPCC also invites internationally renowned
conductors to Taiwan as guest-conductors frequently. The choir has worked with Helmuth Rilling, Maria Guinand, Gábor Hollerung, Jonathan Velasco, Fred Sjöberg, André Thomas, Jānis Liepiņš, Alexander Solovyev, Ambrož Čopi, among others.
The repertoire of TPCC ranges from renaissance to contemporary, from European classics to
Asian countries, and the compositions with Chinese Taipei and Chinese heritage. On top of these choral treasures, TPCC has also been commissioning and premiering more than 200 new works from Chinese
Taipei composers and composers around the world since 1993. TPCC’s albums have constantly been nominated for “Golden Melody Award”, and have won “Best Album” award and “Best Singing Performance” awards several times.
Turkish State Choir, Türkiye
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor: Burak Onur Erdem
The Turkish State Choir is the leading professional choral ensemble of the country. Since its foundation in 1988 initiated by Prof. Hikmet Şimşek, the choir acts both as a strong symphonic choir and a refined a capella ensemble. Past chief conductors include Walter Strauss, Ahter Destan, İbrahim Yazıcı and Cemi’i Can Deliorman. Since 2017, the artistic director and principal conductor is Burak Onur Erdem. Every season the choir performs more than 30 concerts including symphonic concerts with all the professional symphony orchestras of Türkiye, a capella programmes containing new commissions, and education concerts for youth and children.
The choir has given more than thousands concerts in all parts of Türkiye and has performed in Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Bulgaria and South Korea. In its debut concert, the choir performed under the direction of memorable Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun. Since then, notable performances include Harbison’s world premiere in Vatican to Pope John Paul II, Mahler 2nd in Konzerthaus Berlin, Britten’s War Requiem and Verdi’s Requiem with prominent European symphony orchestras. Awarded the ‘Best Choral Ensemble in Türkiye’ in 2010, the choir has been endowed ‘Voices from Heaven’ by music critics in Europe.
The choir has recorded many albums until now, including Orff - Carmina Burana, Mozart - Requiem, Saygun - Yunus Emre Oratorio, Say - Nazım Oratorio, a capella folk songs by Saygun and Sun. The Turkish State Choir has commissioned many composers like Eurico Carrapatoso, Giovanni Bonato and Henning Sommerro. The choir initiated its choral conducting masterclass in 2016 and hosted international experts like Paulo Lourenço, Lorenzo Donati, Ragnar Rasmussen and Josep Vila i Casanas as guest conductors.
The Turkish State Choir is a member of TENSO Network Europe as of January 2019.
Vancouver Youth Choir, Canada
Founder and Artistic Director: Carrie Tennant
Founded in 2013 by Carrie Tennant, the Vancouver Youth Choir has quickly
emerged as one of the most active and highly regarded youth choirs in Canada.
In nine years, the organization has expanded to include more than 320 singers in
7 ensembles, including the brand-new “VYC Kindred” - a free choral program
where immigrant and refugee youth learn about Indigenous music and culture.
The flagship ensemble - the Vancouver Youth Choir - is made up of 70 singers
aged 14-24.
VYC has gained international attention for their adventurous programming, their
commitment to performing and promoting music from underrepresented
communities, and their outside-the-box approach to their performances, where
they employ unique venues, multimedia, and movement. In addition to their
regularly sold-out season concerts, VYC has been featured on national public
radio, headlined festivals in Europe and North America, and in 2017 was
awarded first prize at the National Choral Competition (Choral Canada). In 2019,
the choir was invited to represent Canada at the American Choral Directors
National Convention in Kansas City. In 2016, VYC launched the “Vancouver
Youth Choir Choral Series” with Cypress Publishing, where they work to promote
works by a diverse roster of Canadian composers on the international stage.
Vancouver is an incredibly multicultural city, and the Vancouver Youth Choir is a
reflection of this! Approximately two thirds of the choir members are NEW
immigrants to Canada, or the children of new immigrants to Canada. We are
proud of the diversity of cultural background that is reflected in our membership,
and have a proven track record of programming music based on our singers’
cultures and experiences.
