Adolf Fredriks musikklasser 9 CD – Sweden

Conductor: Annika Beijer

The choir consists of 43 students from choral class 9 CD, who have recently completed their last year at Adolf Fredrik’s Music School. This is a municipal junior high school with a focus on choral music. The majority of the students have been together from year 4 to 9, and Annika Beijer has been their music teacher and supported them since year 5.

Alla Polacca – Poland

Conductor: Anna Bednarska

Alla Polacca Children and Youth Choir are affiliated with the Grand Theatre Polish National Opera in Warsaw. The choir consists of 200 choristers performing in four age groups (Singing Kids, Children Choir, Youth Choir, and RozśpieWaWa Choir). Anna Bednarska is Alla Polacca’s conductor and artistic director. Alla Polacca Choir participates in concerts and other musical projects staged at the Grand Theatre, Warsaw Philharmonic, Chopin University of Music, Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio. Its members participate in national and international competitions, reaching for the highest awards. Their repertoire spans all epochs. The choir has recorded many works of Polish contemporary music for the Polish Radio and television archives. In 2016, Alla

Polacca chamber ensemble won the Grand Prix at the XIX Cantio Lodziensis National Choir Competition in Lodz. In 2017, the Alla Polacca Choir won two golds at the 52 International Choir competition in Miedzyzdroje combined with the Special Jury Prize In 2019, two III prizes at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 2019, and in 2021.

Cantabo – Norway

Conductor: Tove Annette Holter

Cantabo, founded in 2018 by their conductor Tove Holter, is a session-based women’s choir from Bergen. They do not have weekly rehearsals but convene several weekends per semester. Their repertoire spans from classical sacred to modern contemporary music, of which many works have been composed or arranged specifically for this choir. Cantabo participated in the “NM for kor” national competition in 2019 and “Nye Syng for oss” in 2020 and aims at attending an international choir festival in 2023.

Concentus  – Norway

Conductor: Per Sigmund Rettedal

Concentus started as a group of singers in 1978. Their ambitions have increased since then, the choir now being one of the most reputable of their category in Norway. Conductors have been Steinar Eielsen (founder), Rasmus Reed (substitute for Eielsen for 1 year), Odd Sveinung Johnsen and presently Per Sigmund Rettedal.  Their repertoire spans from Norwegian sacred music and classical works to popular music, also in cooperation with local and international instrumentalists and soloists. The choir has also participated in international competitions and brought home gold medals in 2011 from Musica Sacra a Roma 2011 and Grand Prix of Nations in Berlin 2017.

Con Amore – Norway

Conductor: Jon Berg Eriksen

Con Amore, started in 1969, is a mixed amateur choir with approximately 40 singers from Oslo. Our repertoire spans widely and covers works of, amongst others, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Heinberger, Purcell, Taube and Norwegian composers such as Grieg and Knut Nystedt, Trygve Hoff and Ola Gjeilo. During the last years our repertoire beside classical church music, folk song and other light music has been turned towards sonorous, romantic music. Con Amore has also performed major works such as mass by Dvozak, Requiem by Cherubini and Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez in recent years. Their conductor, Jon Berg Eriksen, is one of the country’s youngest professional conductors, and he is also a skilled singer, in ensembles and as a soloist.

CorSonus – Norway

Conductor: Iris Kristine Tangen

CorSonus is a female choir from the small town of Hareid, located on the northwest coast of Norway. The choir started in 2015, and now have 37 active members. Already in 2017, the choir participated in the Norwegian Choral Championship for the first time. CorSonus is an active choir with several concerts and events every year, mostly orchestrated by the choir itself, and occasionally as guests at other musical and cultural events, both locally and around the county. The choir always seeks to develop their technique and repertoire, and rarely turns down a new challenge.

Follesø Mannskor – Norway

Conductor: Ørjan Hartveit

Follesø Mannskor was founded in 1914 and has been in continuous existence since then.  The male voice choir, with their base in the village of Follese on the island of Askøy near Bergen, Norway, is steeped in tradition but also keeping up with the more modern aspects of the choral movement. The choir has found a good balance between focus on quality and social activities, always looking for a chance to compete but equally just going on trips with or visiting other choirs. Professional singer Ørjan Hartveit took on the job as their new conductor only earlier this spring, so the Grieg International Choir Festival competitions will be a good trial by fire for both him and the choir.

Hedvig Eleonora ungdomskör – Sweden    

Conductor: Natalia Edvall

Hedvig Eleonora ungdomskör, or HelUng for short, was established in 2015 and consists of singers between the ages of 16 to 24 years from the Stockholm region. Led by conductor Natalia Edvall, the choir possesses a wide range of repertoire and performs in concerts and in church services in the Hedvig Eleonora church regularly. HelUng has previously participated in Rimini International Choral Competition 2017, winning the sacred music category. Edvall moved to Sweden in 1996 after obtaining a master’s degree in choir conducting at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. She has since conducted various choirs in Sweden and worked as choirmaster at the Gothenburg Opera. Many of HelUng’s singers are graduates from Adolf Fredrik’s music school where Edvall has worked since 2005, becoming lead teacher in music in 2014.

Os Vocalis – Norway

Conductor: Ørjan Hartveit

Os Vocalis was founded in 1982 and consists of 18 ladies from Os and Bergen who enjoy their principal interest of choral music from various eras and genres. Their conductor, Ørjan Hartveit, received his education from Trinity College of Music in London, and is an experienced voice teacher as well as an inspiring music director.

Stockholms Musikgymnasiums kammarkör – Sweden

Conductor: Helene Stureborg

The Stockholms Musikgymnasium Chamber Choir was founded in 1989, and Helene Stureborg has been the choir’s conductor since 2002. The singers are students from grades 1-3 at the Stockholms Musikgymnasium. SMK has over the years achieved great success through esteemed concerts and competition successes, and regularly receives invitations to participate in master classes and international festivals and conventions.

The University of Houston Concert Chorale – USA

Conductor: Betsy Cook Weber

The University of Houston Concert Chorale is the university’s premiere large choral ensemble. Under the direction of Betsy Cook Weber since 2002, the ensemble has performed for four TMEA conventions and two national ACDA conventions (Miami, 2007 and Minneapolis, 2017).  The ensemble has also been active internationally, placing in and/or winning the following prestigious competitions: 47th Eisteddfod, Langollen, Wales, UK, (1st place, Chamber Choir; 2009); Florilège Vocal, Tours, France (2nd place Mixed Choir; 2011); International Chamber Choir Competition, Marktoberdorf, Germany (1st place ex acqueo; 2013); Grand Prix of Nations, Magdeburg, Germany (1st place Youth Choir; 2015); Bela Bartok International Choral Competition (first place; 2018), Debrecen, Hungary; European Grand Prix in Arezzo, Italy (one of five participants; 2019). Chorale’s location in Houston presents many opportunities, including performances with/for Houston Symphony, Ars Lyrica among others.

Vingel Singers – Norway                           

Conductor: Erland Horten

Vingel Singers is a mixed choir from Vingelen in Innlandet county of Norway. The choir was founded in 1991 and consists of singers from the age of 22 to 60 years. The name Vingel Singers is derived from the name of their hometown, but the association to a famous British vocal group is no coincidence… Vingel Singers strives to sing all kinds of vocal music and has participated in several international competitions throughout the years.

Vocal Group ĒRA – Latvia

Vocal group ĒRA was created in Mazsalaca, a small town in North Latvia about a decade ago. More than ten years the members of the group were settled the same – five beautiful girls with wonderful voices and their leader Dita Tomsone. ĒRA has been among the leading vocal groups in Latvia since 2012, proven by first prizes in National competitions in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Also two Bronze awards in Tolosa Choral Competition 2019 became one of the most valuable achievements and yet adventures. Girls from vocal group ĒRA love to spend their time singing. Finding new challenges in Latvian and foreign music, blending music with choreography and looking for new ways to diversify their sound. Sacred, popular, classical or jazz music, folk music both ancient and modern – this versatility is what ĒRA is all about.

Volve Vokal – Norway

Conductor: Gro Espedal

Volve vokal is a Bergen-based ensemble for women’s voices that was founded in 2006. The ensemble seeks, through choral music, to create a uniform experience that is experimental and cross-genre. They stage their own productions and participate at festivals and competitions with a view to always being relevant and pioneering, maintaining a high international level, both in terms of musical and visual performance. Their repertoire is varied, however with emphasis on recent Nordic music. Artistic management is in the hands of conductors Gro Espedal and Thea Meidell Sjule, and scenic-visual leader Hild Cecilie Vang.

Øygarden Kulturskulekor – Norway

Conductor: Åshild Eriksen

Øygarden kulturskulekor (Municipal Cultural School Choir) is a children’s and youth choir located on islands west of Bergen. The choir was founded in 1978 and has members who are 8-18 years old, in 3 groups. This is the first time the choir is participating in a competition, but the choir has been attending several festivals during the years and has many times travelled abroad to meet choirs in different Nordic and European countries. This year the choir performed with other choirs and instrumentalists in an exciting new composition mixing folk music and new music, called “Ervesong” (songs of heritage), at HåkonshallenThe repertoire of the choir is of a great variety, we enjoy both classical and pop music and especially staging songs from musicals. Åshild Eriksen has been conducting the choir since 1999.