Voices Meeting for a Better World
Registrations to the World Choral Expo 2019 are now OPEN!
The 2019 World Choral EXPO (WCE) will feature numerous concerts throughout Lisbon and its surrounding cities, presented by participating choirs and 11 selected leading choral ensembles from different continents. We are delighted to announce the 11 invited choirs selected to enrich the 2019 World Choral EXPO: Moran Choir (Israel), Indonesia Youth Choir (Indonesia), Shenzhen Lily Children’s Choir (China), Ensemble Vocapella Limburg (Germany), Jazz Cantat (Portugal), Shemesh Quartet (Mexico), Credo Chamber Choir (Ukraine), Musica Nostra Female Choir (Hungary), Cantemus Children’s Choir (Hungary), Coro Juvenil do Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa (Portugal), and Kokopelli Youth Choir (Canada). As well, there will be amazing performances by the 2019 World Youth Choir which will join the 2019 WCE and IFCM guests to celebrate the World Youth Choir’s 30thanniversary in Lisbon.
If you are still thinking about making the World Choral EXPO part of your summer choral activities but haven’t made a final decision, read about four of the 2019 WCE outstanding choirs. This is a choral experience that you do not want to miss. Bios for Cantemus Children’s Choir, Moran Choir, Credo Chamber Choir, and Ensemble Vocapella Limburg appeared in the April IFCMeNEWS. More choir bios will follow in the June eNews.
Shenzhen Senior High School Lily Girls’ Choir, conducted by Manxue Hu (China)
As a result of impressive performances with powerful impact and appeal, Shenzhen Senior High School Lily Girls’ Choir has developed an international reputation in recent years. Founded in 1997, Lily Girls’ Choir is comprised of girls (ages 11-17) from Shenzhen Senior High School. The choir has performed with many renowned conductors and symphony orchestras. Receiving awards at multiple international competitions, the choir won first prize in the Children’s Choir category, as well as the audience award, at the 36thTolosa International Choral Festival in Spain. Performance invitations for Lily Girls’ Choir include ACDA Conference 2016 Eastern Division, IFCM World Choral EXPO 2015, and the John F. Kennedy Arts Center Millennium Stage.
Musica Nostra Female Choir, conducted by Zsuzsánna Mindszenty(Hungary)
Musica Nostra Female Choir was formed in 1994 with students in the Department of Music at the Eötvös Loránd University of Science where the choir is still hosted. Founded and conducted by Zsuzsánna Mindszenty, the primary aim of this female chorus is the high-quality interpretation and popularisation of early and contemporary music. Musica Nostra Female Choir has performed and recorded numerous world premieres and has produced five CDs which include music from different ages. Since its foundation, Musica Nostra has won prestigious awards at international competitions of the highest rank, including Arezzo (Italy), Tours (France), Marktoberdorf (Germany), Maribor (Slovenia), Bad Ischl (Austria), Neuchatel (Switzerland), Bratislava (Slovakia), Namestovo (Slovakia), and Debrecen, Pécs, and Budapest (Hungary).
Shemesh Quartet (Mexico)
Founded in 2015 by singing undergraduates in the National Conservatory of Music, Shemesh Quartet is a vocal a cappella ensemble with a versatile repertoire that includes arrangements and original compositions by the members. Since its creation, Shemesh Quartet has received ovations from audiences and acclaim from peer reviewers in the choral world. Shemesh Quartet is an ensemble conducted equally by its members, creating a four-mind harmony. The ensemble has performed in New York City (Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center) and in concert halls throughout Mexico.
Coro Juvenil do Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa, conducted by Filipa Palhares(Portugal)
Coro Juvenil do Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa was founded in 2015 by Filipa Palhares. Performing concerts on a regular basis, the choir participated in João Ripper’s opera, Onehama, and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiemwith the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra. In the 28thand 29th Temporada de Música de São Roque, Coro Juvenil do Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa produced two programs entirely dedicated to Portuguese contemporary composers, including several premieres. The choir won first prize in the 23rdCertamen Juvenil de Habaneras in Spain, gold medals in five editions of the Portuguese Summer Choral Festival, the silver medal in the champions category of the World Choir Games in South Africa (2018). In 2016, Coro Juvenil do Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa released an album, Mesmo que faça frio,with music by the Portuguese composer, Nuno da Rocha.
EXchange!
A special component of the 2019 World Choral EXPO will be EXchange! - an intimate gathering of international scholars, performers, conductors, pedagogues, and composers to connect, create, share, and explore. In partnership with The Singing Network, selected papers and presentations will focus on foundations of choral music and diverse aspects of collective singing. Focus areas include: singing and song, moving, storytelling, conducting, dramatizing, mediating, teaching and learning, composing, socializing, imagining, communicating, expressing… and beyond!
If you are interested in choral singing, Lisbon is the place to be at the end of July 2019!
See World Choral EXPO 2019 for more information with participating conditions and registration details. Follow the World Choral EXPO Facebook page for up-to-date details.
World Choral EXPO 2015 | Highlights from the closing ceremony video
Official magazine of the International Federation for Choral Music, the International Choral Magazine is published quarterly in the four official languages of IFCM: English, French, German and Spanish. It is distributed in more than 80 countries on the five continents and is the official voice of choral music around the world.
Read moreOur focus at the moment is to unite the choral calendars of international choral organisations. Meanwhile please consult the calendar of choral events published by the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat here.
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