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COUNCIL TALK 02/2024 - The digital magazine of the World Choir Council

The digital magazine COUNCIL TALK is the magazine of the INTERKULTUR World Choir Council – in exchange with the choir world. It is published twice a year at the end of January and August.

The digital magazine COUNCIL TALK is the magazine of the INTERKULTUR World Choir Council – in exchange with the choir world. It is published twice a year at the end of January and August.

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7 th ISSUE

2/2024

Magazine

COUNCIL TALK

THE CHORAL WORLD IN EXCHANGE

General

Conference

2024

Auckland

New Zealand

INTERKULTUR WORLD TOUR STOP 2025

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL GENERAL CONFERENCE 2024 – AUCKLAND

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND GUESTS EXCHANGE IDEAS

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL 2024 “CHINA MULTI ETHNIC CHORUS” SPECIAL FORUM


2


TABLE OF CONTENTS

GREETINGS 5

INTERKULTUR EVENTS – REVIEW 2024 6

FACTS & FIGURES REVIEW 2024 8

2024 - WHICH MUSIC PIECES WERE SELECTED BY 10

THE CHOIRS FOR THE COMPETITIONS?

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL GENERAL CONFERENCE 2024 12

AUCKLAND

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND 18

GUESTS EXCHANGE IDEAS

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL - NEW HONORARY MEMBERS 20

“HELLO COUNCIL”: VOICE MUTATION ≠ 24

REJECTED BY CHILDREN‘S CHOIR SINGING!

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL 26

IN MULTI-ETHNIC CHILDREN‘S CHORUS ART WEEK

NEW FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES 32

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

INTERKULTUR WORLD TOUR 34

WORLD TOUR STOP 2025 36

- H ộ i An – unique choir competition in fascinating Vietnam

- Hull – Welcome to the “Singing City”!

- Malaysia – Singing Sarawak: A Harmony of Cultures

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL – MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD 38

ONE EVENT, COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES: 42

SING IN AARHUS 2025!

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL - THANK YOU & GOOD BYE 48

IMPRINT 49

3


We wish you

all the Best


Dear members of the World Choir Council, dear friends,

with gratitude and pride, we look back on the year 2024, a year full of moving moments, cultural

encounters and unique memories.

We are grateful for the countless people, World Choir Council members and friends, who have

brought our vision of connecting people across all borders through choral music to life in a

unique way over the past months.

We would like to thank all members of the World Choir Council and friends of choral music for

your commitment and support. Together, we would like to continue to strengthen the bridges

we have built and forge new connections to bring the universal language of music to the world

and to spread and achieve the goals and values f INTERKULTUR and the World Choir Council!

We look forward to continuing to work together with you in 2025 on exciting and fruitful projects

and events in the World Choir Coundil.

Let‘s keep and strengthen this feeling of community and solidarity in the new year!

We wish all members of the World Choir Council, friends and family a peaceful, happy and

successful year!

May the New Year be full of bright spots for all of you, that fill your hearts with joy and make

your goals and wishes come true.

Günter Titsch

President INTERKULTUR &

World Choir Council

Qin Wang

First Vice-President INTERKULTUR &

World Choir Council

Fred Sjöberg

Senior Artistic Director of INTERKULTUR &

Vice President of World Choir Council

Steen Lindholm

Honorary Senior Advisor

of the World Choir Council

Jürgen Budday

Senior Advisor of the World Choir Council

Hans-Robert Dapprich

Director Communications, Marketing &

Sales of INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council

5


January 25-29, 2024

3 RD SING‘N‘PRAY KOBE

Kobe, Japan

April 27 - May 1, 2024

15 TH INTERNATIONAL CHOIR

COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL

BAD ISCHL

Bad Ischl, Austria

INTERKULTUR EVENTS

JANUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JULY

March 23-27, 2024

3 RD VOX LUCENSIS

Lucca, Italy

May 29 - June 2, 2024

INTERNATIONAL

CHOIR COMPETITION

PHNOM PENH

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

July 10-20, 202

13 TH WORLD C

Auckland, New

6


September 11-15, 2024

INTERNATIONALES

CHORFEST MAGDEBURG

Magdeburg, Germany

October 10-14, 2024

5 TH KALAMATA

INTERNATIONAL

CHOIR COMPETITION

AND FESTIVAL

Kalamata, Greece

November 7-11, 2024

3 RD LISBON SINGS

Lisbon, Portugal

REVIEW 2024

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

4

HOIR GAMES

Zealand

October 2-6, 2024

SING‘N‘JOY BOHOL

Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines

October 24-28, 2024

SING FOR GOLD –

THE WORLD CHORAL CUP

Calella & Barcelona,

Catalonia (Spain)

7


FACTS & FIGURES REVIEW 2024

TEN SUCCESSFUL EVENTS

A total of 10 choir competitions and festivals were held in 10 different countries on 3 continents in 2024

JAPAN, ITALIEN, AUSTRIA, CAMBODIA, NEW ZEALAND,

GERMANY, PHILIPPINES, GREECE, SPAIN, PORTUGAL

THE WINNERS

According to the motto “Participation is the highest honor”, in 2024 we saw winner after winner:

MEDALS

DIPLOMAS

96

GOLD

31

SILVER

4

BRONZE

206

GOLD

CHAMPIONS

24

153

SILVER

22

BRONZE

CATEGORY WINNERS

75

TOP THREE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

A total of 449 choirs from 69 countries participated in the ten INTERKULTUR events around the globe in 2024.

The top three participating countries came from:

2 1 3

NEW ZEALAND

53 CHOIRS

CHINA

85 CHOIRS

GERMANY

38 CHOIRS

8


9.461

SOPRANOS

8.600

ALTOS

1.079

TENORS

3.193

BASSES

took part in the events across all categories and brought the music to the venues.

65 JURY MEMBERS FROM 34 COUNTRIES

EVALUATED, COACHED AND CELEBRATED

449 CHOIRS IN 2024.

INTERKULTUR EVENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD

Sometimes the INTERKULTUR team has to travel very short distances to organize an event, but sometimes

it has to travel much further. In 2024, the longest distance from the INTERKULTUR organization office in

Germany was to New Zealand with over 18.000 km. The shortest was in Germany to Magdeburg at just over

265 km.

to Calella, Spain

1.099,40 KM

to Lisbon, Portugal

1.925,79 KM

to Magdeburg, Germany

to Bad Ischl,

Austria

472,51 KM

265,11 KM

to Kalamata,

Greece

1.838,25 KM

to Lucca, Italy

756,90 KM

to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

9.444,46 KM

to Kobe, Japan

9.180,44 KM

to Bohol, Tagbilaran City,

Philippines

10.877,69 KM

IN TOTAL, THE INTERKULTUR TEAM TRAVELED

53.987,36 KM

TO MAKE ALL CHOIR COMPETITIONS AND FESTIVALS

AROUND THE GLOBE POSSIBLE.

to Auckland, New Zealand

18.126,81 KM

9


2024

WHICH MUSIC PIECES WERE SELECTED

BY THE CHOIRS FOR THE COMPETITIONS?

Choosing the right songs and compositions for the perfect competition performance is extremely important.

There are many choices and many choirs wonder which songs are the perfect selection. At 10 different events

in 2024, 449 choirs mastered the selection process and chose the most different pieces of music. However,

some also chose the same pieces of music and composers and we thought we would list the top 10 most sung

pieces of music and composers of 2024 today:

TOP 10 COMPOSERS:

RANKING

NAME OF THE COMPOSER

THAT‘S HOW OFTEN

THE COMPOSER WAS USED:

1 Xingzimin Pan (China) 35

2 Ola Gjeilo (Norway) 34

3 Eric Whitacre (USA) 22

4 Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (Germany) 22

5 Zoltán Kodály (Hungary) 21

6 Mia Makaroff (Finland) 20

7 Veljo Tormis (Estonia) 19

8 Liu Xiaogeng (China) 19

9 Yu Guan (China) 19

10 Ivo Antognini (Switzerland) 18

Pan Xingzimin

# 2

Eric Whitacre

# 1

Ola Gjeilo

# 3

10


TOP 10 PIECES OF MUSIC:

RANKING

NAME OF

THE PIECES OF MUSIC:

NAME OF THE COMPOSER:

THAT‘S HOW OFTEN THE

PIECES OF MUSIC WERE

CHOSEN BY THE CHOIRS:

1 Northern Lights Ola Gjeilo 12

2 Ta na Solbici Samo Vovk 11

3 Ubi caritas Ola Gjeilo 10

4 Even When He Is Silent Kim André Arnesen 10

5 Ta suo xing Pan Xingzimin 10

6 A Million Dreams Benj Pasek 9

7 Baba Yetu Christopher Tin 8

8 Canticum novum Ivo Antognini 8

9 Dance! Robert T. Gibson 8

10 Let My Love Be Heard Jake Runestad 7

11


AUCKLAND

NEW ZEALAND

Wellington

Christchurch

12


The day between the two parts of the World Choir

Games is traditionally the day for the General

Conference of the World Choir Council. During

the World Choir Games 2024 it took place in

HYUNDAI Marine Sports Center bringing together

representatives from the World Choir Council,

which is consisting of almost 150 choral experts

from 95 countries and regions, in Tāmaki Makaurau

Auckland. The conference was organized as a hybrid

event and was such also joined by members of the

World Choir Council worldwide, which were not able

to attend in person.

The conference began with a welcome reception

and a little surprise for the international guests:

The Ahuuranui Tahitian Dance School presented

traditional music, singing and dancing from Tahiti,

and even made the international guests dancing

and clapping along. The response was impressive,

so Günter Titsch, President of INTERKULTUR, the

World Choir Games and the World Choir Council, felt

inspired to welcome the participants in a humorous

way by addressing them as the “World Dancing

Council” in his official opening speech afterwards.

In his speech Günter Titsch further emphasized

the Council‘s role in providing valuable advice and

guidance to INTERKULTUR and the World Choir

Events in navigating the world of choral music

and to engage for the quality and development

of INTERKULTUR’s work. He emphasized that

compared with the founding times of the World Choir

Council back in 2000, the panel now also plays an

important role regarding the creative, artistic aspects

of INTERKULTUR events.

Auckland’s Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson was then

giving a welcome speech on behalf of Auckland City

Council, in which she highlighted that hosting the

World Choir Council is significant to the city as a

highlight for Auckland to showcase a vibrant choral

scene on an international stage. She said, it was a

unique opportunity to share traditions and the love

for music while reaching out to the city’s community

and inspiring generations of future singers.

In recognition of the city’s support and commitment

to the World Choir Games 2024, President Günter

Titsch on behalf of INTERKULTUR and the World

Choir Council awarded the title “World Choir Games

City” to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and handed over

the certificate to Deputy Mayor Simpson.

Further recognition and honors went out to

Christine Argyle, Chief Executive of the New Zealand

Choral Federation, and John Rosser, Games &

Artistic Director of the World Choir Games 2024

and representative of New Zealand in the World

Choir Council, for their outstanding support and

collaboration in the event preparation.

Afterwards, President Günter Titsch and First Vice

President Wang Qin on behalf of INTERKULTUR

and the World Choir Council honored those

representatives of the World Choir Council as

Honorary Members who have been contributing

with great efforts and for more than 10 years to the

further development of the World Choir Council:

Chen Guanghui (China), Prof. Yang Li (China) and Mat

Wright (Great Britain).

As representatives of the host country, Christine

Argyle together with Melissa Absolum (New Zealand

Choral Federation) and jury member Igelese Ete

from New Zealand/Samoa, gave all participants an

insight into the history and style of the choral culture

in New Zealand and all their various influences of

different cultures and people. They included the

early beginnings of choral music (brought by British

settlers), explained the first Māori choir established

as well as the fusion of Māori and European traditions,

the characteristics of Kapa Haka, the term use for

Māori Performing Arts, and also gave an insight into

the strong tradition of Pacific Church Choirs.

After these interesting insights, it was time to look

into the future: Which aims do INTERKULTUR and

the World Choir Council have for 2025, for example

regarding the European Choir Games and Grand Prix

of Nations 2025 in Aarhus, Denmark?

13


On July 16, the second day of the World Choir Council,

its members met again for presentations on various

topics from the choral scene and choral life in their

countries: Dr. Michael Barrett, member of the World

Choir Council from South Africa and Artistic Director

of the African Asia Pacific Choir Games 2025 in

Mauritius, spoke about the future of choral events

and festivals, while Susanna Saw, representative for

Malaysia in the World Choir Council, looked at the

possibilities of standardized evaluation criteria. In

addition, Prof. Zhang Xin, President of the Guangzhou

Choral Association from China, examined how the

local choral scene has changed - especially for

people with special needs - after Guangzhou was

named “World Choir Capital City”. In addition, Dr.

Cristian Grases, choral music expert from Venezuela/

USA, spoke about health and mental health in the

context of choral singing. All these topics were

further discussed in smaller groups in various

discussion rounds in order to promote international

exchange and to inform about current developments

in the choral scene worldwide, as well as to discuss

possible goals and suggestions for improvement for

the future.

The General Conference of the World Choir Council

2024 ended with a special program highlight: At the

“Sister Choirs Friendship Flashmob” in the Aotea

Centre, the choirs “Leonessa” from New Zealand,

“Shenzhen Futian Star Bright Choir” from China

and “Farnham Youth Choir” from Great Britain gave

a surprise concert for all guests and passers-by.

True to the motto “Singing Together Brings Nations

Together”, they invited all choral experts present to

sing a traditional New Zealand song together - an

emotional moment at the end of this year‘s General

Conference of the World Choir Council.

In the presence of all guests, the three choirs from

New Zealand, China and Great Britain also received

a certificate that officially recognizes them all as

“Sister Choirs” to bring them together and connect

them with each other.

This flash mob was part of the series “World Choir

Events in the Belt and Road” within the framework of

the 13 th World Choir Games. It was jointly launched

by the INTERKULTUR Organizing Committee of the

World Choir Games 2024 together with the New

Zealand partners and supported by the Embassy of

the People‘s Republic of China in New Zealand, the

Consulate General of the People‘s Republic of China

in Auckland, the Chinese People‘s Association for

Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China

International Friendship Cities Association.

14


GUESTS & MEMBERSFROM:

AFRICA & EUROPE

ASIA, PACIFIC & MIDDLE EAST

NORTH, CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA

15


16


17


WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND

GUESTS EXCHANGE IDEAS

During the General Conference in Auckland, members

and guests once again had the opportunity to

exchange ideas and participate in discussions. In the

past few years, the system of small groups has been

a great success, as it gave every member or guest the

opportunity to have their chance to speak and take

part in the discussion. The members and guests of

the General Conference 2024 were divided into a total

of 4 groups, three of which were completely live in

Auckland in three rooms and another group consisted

of members who were connected online via ZOOM

and were thus able to participate in this important

exchange.

During the two-hour discussions and subsequent

presentation of the results, some interesting and

remarkable results, opinions, thoughts and wishes

were presented.

NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF MAJOR EVENTS -

INCREASING COSTS FOR CHOIRS

One central question was repeatedly raised during

the discussion: The costs for choirs to participate in

events have risen significantly in recent years, partly

due to higher travel costs, which means that choirs

are no longer able to travel to events and competitions

as often. In particular, it is not possible for many choirs

to travel to and participate in major events such as

the World Choir Games every two years. It was reported

that New Zealand choirs were able to participate

in larger numbers for the first time in 2024, as it was

the first time it was affordable for these choirs.

In order to counteract the general problem of rising

costs for choirs, it was discussed whether it would

not be possible to change major events such as the

World Choir Games from a 2-year rhythm to a 3-year

rhythm. This would give choirs the opportunity to save

money, find sponsors or make use of state funding.

However, this would not be possible for many choirs

every two years. University choirs in particular would

sometimes only have access to new budgets every

three years, which would then prevent them from traveling

to a major event every two years. This proposal

was supplemented with the idea that, in addition to

the 3-year rhythm for major events, more “smaller”

events such as the European Choir Games and others

could take place at regional level, which could then

close the gap. Short trips and smaller events would

be easier for the choirs to manage than major events.

In this context, the possibility of dealing with the training

of choirs in addition to the pure competition was

also discussed. If there was a possibility to also deal

with the education of choirs during larger events and

e.g. to enable a cooperation between INTERKULTUR

and the partner and host cities, this would also help

the choirs a lot. For example, universities would provide

their choirs with more or an additional budget for

added educational value, which would help the choirs

enormously. The simple possibility of taking part in

competitions could no longer be 100% interesting in

the future.

TRAINING CHOIRS DURING,

BEFORE OR AFTER EVENTS

In connection with the training of choirs, this topic

was discussed further and it was worked out that

not every country and every choir is looking for the

same requirements, opportunities and possibilities.

For example, it would be necessary to look at which

special workshops which countries and choirs would

need, such as singing techniques. The next Asia Pacific

Choir Games and which special workshops could

be interesting for Mauritius and the choirs in this region

were also discussed very specifically. It would

perhaps be useful if INTERKULTUR and the host cities

and regions could work together to examine what

educational measures the country and the region can

contribute and what INTERKULTUR can contribute. It

was clear to the participants that this does not apply

equally to all choirs and regions, of course, as there

are high-performing choirs as well as lower-performing

choirs, which naturally have different needs and

wishes. Workshops for choirs are a very good way of

delivering an educational added value, e.g. a workshop

on Chinese culture and how Chinese in general

and Chinese songs should be pronounced and sung.

In addition to workshops, a kind of “conducting

games” could also be organized to assess how much

an improvement in conducting skills could improve

the choir. Overall, there should be a greater focus on

education. To make the education of choirs attractive,

special prizes could also be awarded to choirs that

have continuously improved over the years through

workshops and other educational measures. A further

collaboration in this context could be to offer longer

and larger workshops by having more conductors and

jury members on site to organize them. This would

benefit all choirs and especially appreciate the choirs

that do not have the opportunity to come to the major

18


events every two years. Overall, it would be necessary

to look at what could be done for the choirs during

an event as added educational value, but also before

and after the event. In the preparation phase, we

could look at what specific wishes and problems the

choirs have and we could address these by looking at

whether they are in the right categories vocally and in

terms of style, or whether other categories would be

better. Possible coaching sessions or workshops before

the official event were also discussed. Although

this would extend the duration of a choir‘s journey and

therefore also the costs, the added educational value

could significantly improve the choir‘s performance.

After the events, the choirs could, for example, stay in

contact with the workshop leaders and it could be explored

whether long-term coaching is also possible.

If an external workshop leader “accompanies” a choir

over a longer period of time, it would be possible to

observe the exciting development of a choir.

SPECIAL WORLD CHOIR GAMES FOR DISABLED

OR HANDICAPPED CHOIRS IN THE STYLE OF THE

PARALYMPIC GAMES?

In addition to the training and further education of

choirs, the costs and the problem that choirs are not

able to travel to events as often, a topic was also discussed

that has been solved at the sports level for

years. What options do choirs with disabilities have

if they want to take part in competitions? Sometimes

this is difficult because there are no separate categories

or opportunities for this. However, as there

are more and more choirs that have disabled singers

or even entire choirs that are disabled, this topic is

becoming increasingly important and should not be

ignored at all. Three possibilities were discussed that

could become relevant in the future. On the one hand,

it was discussed whether these choirs could compete

in the normal categories. Although this option would

ensure that everyone would be treated equally, some

participants in the discussion pointed out that the level

of performance could be very different in some

cases and the choirs without restrictions could possibly

be better. In the long term, this could lead to the

disabled choirs losing the desire to sing and take part

in the competition, as they would have no chance of

competing. For this reason, the possibility of introducing

special categories for disabled choirs was discussed,

in which these choirs could then compete.

The advantage of this would be that everything would

take place under the umbrella of the “World Choir

Games”. As all choirs - disabled as well as non-disabled

- would participate, a special cohesion could

be created. On the other hand, however, the organizational

effort would be significantly increased, as many

more categories would have to be processed and

handled at the same time. For this reason, a third option

was also discussed. It was suggested that INTER-

KULTUR could organize a kind of Paralympic World

Choir Games where only choirs with disabilities could

participate. They would then be completely among

“like-minded people” and the organization would be

easier to implement. This has been working at a sporting

level for years, so it could also be a possibility and

a great opportunity for the choral world and offer considerable

added value. This would give all choirs the

opportunity to take part in competitions and festivals,

which would be both fair and correct. All participants

agreed that there is still a lot of room for improvement

in the area of disabled choirs and that everyone needs

to work together to make progress here.

WORKSHOP FOR CHOIR CONDUCTORS -

STANDARDIZED EVALUATION CRITERIA

Another topic that was discussed was the training of

adjudicators. Some participants said that for some

categories, e.g. folklore, it is difficult to evaluate in a

standardized way because the evaluation criteria and

possibilities are difficult. It was therefore suggested

whether INTERKULTUR and the World Choir Council

could offer workshops for choir conductors and old

and new jurors in order to convey uniform evaluation

criteria and standards so that all jurors have the

same level of knowledge. This could be done in the

preparation of events but also in between. An added

value for the jurors but also, conversely, for the choirs,

who benefit from standardized evaluations.

All in all, the discussion round was very interesting

and fruitful. The participants were able to exchange

ideas very well, discuss new possibilities and all agreed

that we should have such an exchange much

more often, as it is valuable for everyone. The World

Choir Council team and INTERKULTUR will respond

to this call in addition to the General Conference within

the framework of the World Choir Council Forum,

where we offer all members a platform for exchange

and discussion.

19


WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL -

NEW HONORARY MEMBERS

THE WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL EXPANDS AND DEVELOPS:

The World Choir Council, as an important member in the INTERKULTUR family, is a well-known

and very important part of the choral world. The World Choir Council is also the highest voluntary

international advisory body of INTERKULTUR.

INTERKULTUR and the World Choir Council are very proud that we were able to appoint the

following members as Honorary Members of the World Choir Council in New Zealand due to their

long-standing membership and work in the World Choir Council:

JEAN-PIERRE VAN AVERMAET

BELGIUM

• Secretary General of the European Federation

for choirs of the Union (Paris-Brussels)

• Specialist in youth choirs and promoter of

authentic baroque music

• Involved in several music films (“The gold of

the Angels”, “Higgi-Inspiring Voices”)

• Organizer of over 5000 concerts in Europe, and

organizer of many international youth choir music

festivals in Basel, Nantes, Poznan and Riga

• Lecturer at masterclasses and juror in

competitions all over the world

GUANGHUI CHEN

CHINA

• National First Class Conductor and Vice President

of China Chorus Association

• Director of the Mass Chorus Committee of the

Chinese Choral Association

• President of the Guangdong Choral Association

and President of the Shenzhen Choral Society

• Founder and Director of the Guangdong

international choral pedagogic education project

• Directed many choirs, which have won champion

titles in numerous choral contests, both home

and abroad

• Founder & Artistic Director of the Shenzhen Star

Bright Choir

20


CONGRATULATIONS

YANG LI

CHINA

• Professor of conducting at the Central

Conservatory of Music

• Principal Conductor of Tianjin Symphony

Orchestra

• Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of

Beijing Philharmonic Choir

• frequently invited to serve as an international

judge in many important choral competitions

• in 2016, his monograph “Modern Conducting

Techniques Course”was published by the Central

Conservatory of Music

MARÍA FELICIA PÉREZ

CUBA

• Conductor of Coro de Cámara „Exaudi“

• Phd in Musical Interpretation, Universidad de las

Artes de Cuba

• Professor of Coral Conduction, Faculty of Music in

Universidad de las Artes de Cuba

• Professor of Coral Conduction, Escuela Nacional

de Música de Cuba

MATHEW WRIGHT

GREAT BRITAIN

• founder and Artistic Director of the award winning

Barnsley Youth Choir, a community choir of

650 members based in an area of significant

deprivation

• has worked in Education at Primary, Secondary,

Tertiary and University levels as an Advanced

Skills Teacher, Advisory Teacher and as a

Regional Director of Education for a large

Education Trust

• composer and arranger

• in demand internationally as a clinician,

workshop leader, conductor and adjudicator

21


WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL -

NEW HONORARY MEMBERS

AHARON HARLAP

ISRAEL

• His compositions have been performed by all

of the major orchestras and choruses in Israel

including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

• He is the recipient of the prestigious ACUM

(Authors and Composers in Israel) award for

„Life Achievement“ in 2008 for his contribution

to music in Israel as a composer, conductor and

teacher.

• He was also awarded the „Prime Minister‘s

Composition Prize“ in 1999 and again in 2014.

• From 1976-2018, he was Associate Professor

in choral and orchestral conducting at the

Jerusalem Academy of Music.

• Since 1997, he is the Music Director of the Kefar

Sava Chamber Choir in Israel.

LUDUMO MAGANGANE

SOUTH AFRICA

• Studied music at the University of Zululand,

majoring in Choral Conducting and Music History

• Founder and director of „Kwa Thema Youth

Choir“ (since 1979) and co-founder and director of

„Bonisudumo Choristers“ (since 1985)

• Director of „Kwa Thema Central Methodist

Church Choir“

• Music Director of the „Sowetan Massed Choir

Festival“ (2002-2009)

CONGRATULATIONS

22


1 ST INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION

OCTOBER 15-19, 2025

KUCHING (SARAWAK), MALAYSIA

INTERKULTUR.COM/SARAWAK2025

23


“HELLO COUNCIL”:

VOICE MUTATION ≠ REJECTED BY CHILDREN‘S

CHOIR SINGING!

„Hello Council“ is the series of live talk and online

pedagogical workshop organized by INTERKULTUR

China under the support of INTERKULTUR and

World Choir Council. The 18 th “Hello Council“ came

on live on December 13 th with guest speakers Mr.

Meng Dapeng, Chinese representative and Honorary

Advisor of World Choir Council and three Chinese

young conductors and composers, Mr. Zhang Xujun,

Mr. Wu Hao and Ms. Kou Shuang. This live focuses

on the topic of “Voice Mutation Training Guide

for Children’s Choirs”. More than 3,000 Chinese

audience participated in the live broadcast, and more

than 10,000 people watched the review video.

This show focused on the special topic of “voice

mutation” in the choir training, providing answers

and explanations for the Chinese children‘s choirs

with a large base. Mr. Meng Dapeng introduced the

physical and mental impact of voice mutation period

on the children participating in choir activities,

and made suggestions for conductors on vocal

training and work selection: “Please pay attention

to protecting the vocal cords of children in voice

mutation period. There should be constraints on the

vocal range and performance intensity of works, but

by selecting suitable mixed voices SAB works, it is

possible to enable children, especially boys, in voice

mutation period to continue to participate in choirs

without interruption.”

In the interactive session, Mr. Zhang Xujun, Mr. Wu

Hao, and Ms. Kou Shuang each raised scenic OX

statements based on their own experiences, including

physiological medicine, composition techniques,

training modes, vocal skills, and psychological

counseling. The guests further engaged in interactive

discussions and reached a consensus: Compared to

allowing children in the voice mutation to temporarily

leave an equal voices SSA choir, it is undoubtedly a

higher challenge and effort for the conductor to form

a mixed voices SAB choir and keep the children in

the choir. But its educational significance cannot be

ignored. Just as “Singing together brings nations

together”, the spiritual concept of INTERKULTUR’s,

meeting the growth and emotional needs of children

is the most important meaning of choir activities.

At the end of this show, Ms. Li Qixuan, the project

manager of the Hello Council series, promoted

the 2025 INTERKULTUR “World Choir Events” and

invited the audience: “As a public welfare program

for choir education, Hello Council not only provides

a platform for professional technical exchange in

choral music, but also provides a medium for guiding

and disseminating correct choir concepts. We

welcome the audience to continue to pay attention to

Hello Council and INTERKULTUR events in 2025, and

wish everyone a happy New Year!”

24


25


WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL

IN MULTI-ETHNIC CHILDREN‘S CHORUS ART WEEK

CHINA, SHENZHEN

NOVEMBER 16-18, 2024

“Chanson de Montagne” is multi-ethnic children’s

chorus project which was started from Shenzhenthe

youngest city of China-since 2007. A dream of

founding our own traditional choir by the rich cultural

background of China was rooted in the hearts of a

group of Peking university Alumni who were inspired

by a concert of Vienna Children’s choir then. In the

past 17 years, there are more than 30 choirs were

founded in more than 25 different ethnic groups in the

name of project “Chanson de Montagne”! Hundreds

of volunteers, teachers, experts and composers were

sent to those deep mountain and small village area

to work with local artists and choir. During recent

years, an album was collected in which there are

more than 20 great composition based on different

ethnics, hundreds of rural songs from different

nations. Those are fruits for 17 years’ hard work.

In November of 2019, the first Concert “Echoes

of Enchantment-Ancient and Earth” was held in

Shenzhen Concert hall, 3 different Ethnic children’s

choir from thousand kilometers away come to join

the concert, quite a few representative artists of

each group performanced together. That night,

the beautiful choral music and the ethnic sound of

nature converged on the stage of Shenzhen Concert

Hall which was gorgeous like fireworks’ glooming.

That concert gained a great succeed!

Since then, “Echoes of Enchantment-Ancient and

Earth” was held as least once every year, more

and more big fans from all over the country go to

Shenzhen every year for this big show. In the year

2023, when “Echoes of Enchantment-Ancient and

Earth” was invited to performance in China national

center for performance arts, the tickets were sold

out immediately after announced, it truly became a

very popular choral concert IP in china. More than 20

different ethnic groups have performanced on this

stage in past 5 years.

CHINA

Shenzhen

26


https://v.qq.com/x/page/

d3573aqvvzc.html

Click here

In this November 17, the 7 th “Echoes of Enchantment-

Ancient and Earth” meet with their new international

friends from world choir council, when endless

cheers reverberated in Shenzhen concert hall

everyone is moved. This is the first time for the official

representative of world choir council get to know this

aspect of China. Some of them only know very little

things about Chinese ethnic music and culture of

different groups at before. It’s totally new experience

for all of them. Everyone felt shocked about the huge

wealthy of heritage, it must can done something good

to make it uncovered in front of the world.

The cooperation between “Chanson de Montagne”

multiethnic culture communication center and

INTERKULTUR was formally confirmed this summer

during 13 th world choir game in Auckland. The

vision of promoting the “Echoes of Enchantment-

Ancient and Earth”concert to the world stage was

the premise of cooperation between both sides,

and the convening of the World Choral Council at

Multi Ethnic Choral Week in Shenzhen is also a new

exploration and attempt. Taking this opportunity for

the members of the World Choral Council to study

and judge the works and art forms accumulated by

“Chanson de Montagne” for many years, is to provide

the basis for future cooperation combined with the

world choir event.

Four months later, the World Choir council

conference was held during Multi-Ethnic Children’s

chorus Arts Week in Shenzhen, November 16-18,

2024. There are 8 world choir council members

attended this event, they are from Latvia, Hungry,

Greece, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong and mainland

China. At the conference of World choir council, each

council member shared their experience and ideas

about choral pedagogy and traditional choral works’

learning: In the grand Latvia song festival project and

strong music education system, Lativa people created

their own tradition. Hungry people have Kodály

Zoltán and Béla Bartók who started to gather ancient

music and tried all the way to keep the heritage since

the beginning of 20 th century. It’s very similar as what

“Chanson de Montagne” project did in past 20 years.

In Greece, there is similar problem as China, the old

traditional song from ethnic group is unison piece,

they also tried lots of ways to adapt these songs into

choral pieces without losing the origin flavor and keep

the tradition. In Malaysia, big amount of population

are from China and India, the indigenous people is

not as much as that. All the kids need to learn Malay

and English since young, most of them will go to

Chinese school so they can speak Chinese as well.

For Malaysia people to sing and speak in several

language is very common thing. Every country has

its own way to preserve its traditions and pass on its

culture. “Chanson de Montagne” has struck a wide

chord when interpreting its own journey. It turns out

that everyone has experienced similar difficulties,

but the communication in the conference opened

their horizons and brought new thoughts and ideas

to everyone.

In the morning of November 18, there is a special

show was held in Shenzhen Arts Museum for the

world choir council members. The artists from

Jino, Blang and Tajik ethnic group gather together

to share their traditional singing and dance, and

the participants tried their local instruments and

handcrafts during the show. Tajik is from Pamir

mountain, they regard the eagle as a strong, hero,

and widely spread folk songs and legends about the

eagle, and even the origin of the dance is linked to

the habits and dynamics of the eagle. Jino people

believes their ancestors came from the drum, so

they regarded the drum as a sacred object. The Blang

people are one of the oldest ethnic groups in China

with a history of more than 3,000 years, and their rich

tea culture and folk music language have allowed

their traditions to be passed on for thousands of

years. All the council members enjoyed the whole

session, they experienced different dance and

instruments, it will be an absolutely unforgettable

experience for each of them.

The Artistic director of “Chanson de Montagne” Ms

Humanxue is one of the most famous children’s

chorus conductor in China. She has about 30 years

working experience in leading Children’s choir. She

went many times into the ethnic group area to work

with local people and search the music in past ten

years. She said she constantly need to adapt her

teaching method for the local groups.

27


The practice give her lots of inspiration. She led the

“Echoes of Enchantment-Ancient and Earth” concert

and select different nations and groups each year. “I

have to consider very complicated things for each

concert” She said. There are over 30 choirs in this

project, it’s hard to guarantee that every choir will

always keep at the stable quality of singing.

The local teachers may leave, the new composition

need to be adapted many times, the change of

students…even the disaster of nature will effect

everything, mudslides, landslides and earthquakes

may get in the way to stop the volunteers enter into

the rural area. When audience can see 3-4 different

ethnic groups appear on the stage every year, you

never know how much they did at behind. Even

though, it is not enough for the ethnic children’s choir

to hold up a concert.

On view of the weak execution ability of rural children to

complete the chorus, which largely limits the problem

of transmission and sharing. In 2019, Chanson de

Montagne has opened a new idea, that is, set up the

Chanson de Montagne Multi-ethnic Children‘s Choir

Shenzhen Group, and use the Shenzhen Group as the

base camp. Because the city of Shenzhen has a very

good chorus foundation and chorus atmosphere.

The purpose of the establishment of the Shenzhen

Group is to have teachers and students here, but also

to make full use of various resources in Shenzhen,

especially the strong cooperation of Shenzhen

Concert Hall, so that the Shenzhen Group can grow

rapidly. When the Shenzhen Group grows up and has

a certain chorus strength, the Shenzhen Group can

be used as a chorus paving, just like the earth, like

the tree, the ethnic cultures brought by the ethnic

groups is like the blooming flowers on the earth and

the leaves of the tree. Sharing and passing on bright

cultural treasures in such a combined way is actually

the origin of the concert “Ancient and Earth”.

“This road is full of unexpected difficulties and huge

amounts of work, we are a public welfare team

composed mostly of female volunteers, and have

worked together for more than ten years. Their

tenacity and gentleness have opened up a smooth

road for national culture and art. No matter how

many difficulties we met, I and my team will keep on

working for this project. Those (ethnic culture and

music) are the pearls of our nation, we want it be seen

by the whole world” Ms Wang Fang the responsible

person of “Chanson de Montagne” said that when

she meet with Vice president of IK Ms Wang Qin at

Auckland.

The artistic director of IK Romans Vanags is very

moved by the 3 days’ event, he talked a lot to the

journalist about his feeling. He has been to Shenzhen

for twice, one is for a contemporary western choral

concert, the other time is come for traditional ethnic

music. “As the youngest city of China, Shenzhen is

very open view and active in culture.We will see

there are many possibilities for promoting ethnic

music and culture on global stage in the future, This

meeting with the World Choral Council is a great

place to start!”

XU QIAN

Representative of IK Asian-China office, Vice

president & secretary-general of Shenzhen

chorus Association, responsible person of

Shenzhen Xinghan Culture & Arts development

company.

Main working experience:

14 year experience in organizing international

choral activities, connect Chinese choirs to all

kinds of international events, responsible for

Shenzhen Choir festival international affairs,

held international choral education projects

in more than 20 cities in China, Founder of

Shenzhen Star Bright choir.

28


29


30


31


NEW FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

THE WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL EXPANDS AND DEVELOPS:

The World Choir Council, as an important member in the INTERKULTUR family, is a well-known and

very important part of the choral world. The World Choir Council is also the highest and voluntary

international advisory body of INTERKULTUR.

INTERKULTUR and the World Choir Council are very proud to present 13 new members from

13 countries for the World Choir Council. These new members represent their country and will

contribute with their expertise and experience to make the World Choir Council even more

successful. In the following we would like to introduce all new members to you:

AXEL PFEIFFER

GERMANY - EUROPE

- studied musicology and instrumental pedagogy

with piano as his main subject in Giessen and Mainz

as well as choral conducting at the Akademie

für Tonkunst in Darmstadt. The attendance of

numerous advanced training courses and seminars

(among others with Frieder Bernius, Volker

Hempfling, Wolfgang Schäfer, Kurt Suttner) also

expanded his musical and conducting knowledge.

- As a freelance choirmaster he conducts choirs

of all genres. With the choirs under his direction

he has won numerous first prizes at national and

international choir competitions.

- Since 1997 he has been a member of the Federal

Music Committee of the Hessian Singers‘

Association. From 2005-2019 he was also chairman

of this committee.

- In 2008, he was appointed one of the two musical

directors of the „Landesjugendchor Hessen“,

which was newly founded in the same year, and

since then he has also supervised the choir in

parallel as project director. Since 2023 he has been

the sole musical director of the choir.

- From 1997 to 2006 he was a lecturer for composition,

choral voice training and rehearsal at the Frankfurt

Choral Conducting School. From 2006 to 2022, he

was the director of the Marburg Choral Conductors‘

School of the Hessian Singers‘ Association, where

he taught conducting, rehearsal and choral voice

training.

- In addition, he conducts seminars and advanced

training events and is regularly engaged as a critic

and juror.

- Since March 2023 Axel Pfeiffer is a member of the

artistic committee of INTERKULTUR.

WELCOME

32


Sing in Paradise!

33

AAPCG2025.COM


2025

INTERKULTUR

WORLD TOUR

INTERKULTUR events include the opportunity

to travel and discover interesting

new places. In addition to our established

events, we are proud to take you on

a world tour in the next few years.

Get on board and enjoy to our World Tour

Stops spread out within this magazine!

GREAT

BRITAIN

HULL

2026 2025

SPAIN

CALELLA

MA

2025

34


2025

2025

DENMARK

AARHUS

VIETNAM

HOI AN

MALAYSIA

2025

SARAWAK

URITIUS

PORT LOUIS

35


WORLD TOUR STOP 2025

HULL - GREAT BRITAIN

WELCOME TO THE “SINGING CITY”!

On the East Coast of England, with beautiful historical

buildings, lively entertainment, bustling shops,

traditional pubs and tasty restaurants, Yorkshire‘s

only waterfront city of Hull is a hidden treasure.

After a successful inaugural event in 2023, this

competition returns, inviting choirs from across the

globe to showcase their talents. Hull, known for its

vibrant cultural life and historical beauty, offers the

perfect backdrop for a celebration of music, that

celebrates the diversity and unity of the choral world.

The choir competition in Hull offers categories for

each type of choir, from Musica Sacra to Pop, Jazz &

Gospel. Participants will also benefit from Evaluation

Performances, where they‘ll receive direct feedback

from internationally acclaimed choral experts.

As a city with a rich choral history, from early church

music to modern initiatives with a focus on outreach

and inclusivity, Hull is eagerly waiting to welcome

choirs from all over the world to this „singing city“

again. Join in and sing with us in Hull!

36


HÔ. I AN - VIETNAM

UNIQUE CHOIR COMPETITION IN FASCINATING VIETNAM

Immerse yourself in the world of music and

experience the magic of Vietnam. The Vietnam

International Choir Competition is a festival of joy,

music, singing and friendship that brings together

choirs from all over the world every two years.

Against the breathtaking backdrop of historic

Vietnam, you can take part in choir competitions,

friendship concerts, evaluation performances and

individual coachings.

The well-preserved old town of Hội An, a UNESCO

World Heritage Site since 1999, provides a fairytale

setting for this special highlight in the INTERKULTUR

calendar of events.

The “Hội An Legendary Night” always generates

great enthusiasm among the singers. On this magical

night, colorful lanterns light up the entire old town of

Hoi An and local specialties are offered everywhere.

A very special experience in an atmospheric setting!

The competitions in 13 different categories take place

right on the waterfront: Hội An is located directly

between the river and the sea, giving the event a

dreamlike background under palm trees. Join us on

an unforgettable journey full of music, friendship and

unforgettable experiences in Hoi An, Vietnam!

SARAWAK - MALAYSIA

SINGING SARAWAK: A HARMONY OF CULTURES

Kuching, the vibrant heart of Sarawak on the island

of Borneo invites to embark on a musical journey to

its first International Choir Competition. Here, the

rich tapestry of cultural diversity intertwines with the

untouched natural splendor, setting a spectacular

stage for choirs and conductors from every corner of

the world.

The competition venues are set to provide choirs with

world-class facilities to showcase their talents. With

various categories to participate in, every choir will

find a stage to resonate their unique sound.

Nestled amidst Borneo’s stunning landscapes

of rainforests, mountains, and pristine beaches,

Kuching offers a picturesque setting for outdoor and

eco-tourism activities. Whether exploring the wildlife

at Bako National Park or enjoying a river cruise along

the scenic waterfront, there’s plenty to inspire and

refresh the spirit.

Seize the opportunity to shine on an international

platform and immerse yourself in the warmth and

scenic beauty of Kuching. Join us for a celebration of

music, culture, and adventure that promises to be as

enriching as it is exhilarating!

37


WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL

MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD

61

21

11

11

10

Countries and Regions: 96

Number of members: 150

Number of Continents: 6

38


37

40

25

14

11

3

2

Statistics as of December 19, 2024

39


EVENTS

2025

INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITIONS AND FESTIVALS

04

04

04

05

06

06

07

09

09

10

10

3 RD RIGA SINGS - INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION &

IMANTS KOKARS CHORAL AWARD

April 3-7, 2025 | Riga, Latvia

8 TH VIETNAM INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION

April 9-13, 2025 | Ho·ˆi An, Vietnam

4 TH VOX LUCENSIS – CONCORSO CORALE INTERNAZIONALE

April 12-16, 2025 | Lucca, Italy

2 ND HULL INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION

May 2-6, 2025 | Hull, Great Britain

6 TH EUROPEAN CHOIR GAMES & GRAND PRIX OF NATIONS AARHUS 2025

June 28 - July 6, 2025 | Aarhus, Denmark

7 TH INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTOR‘S SEMINAR WERNIGERODE

June 28 - July 1, 2025 | Wernigerode, Germany

13 TH INTERNATIONAL JOHANNES BRAHMS CHOIR FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION

July 2-6, 2025 | Wernigerode, Germany

SING ALONG CONCERT BARCELONA 2025

September 12-14, 2025 | Barcelona, Spain

AFRICAN ASIA PACIFIC CHOIR GAMES & GRAND PRIX OF NATIONS MAURITIUS 2025

September 27 - October 5, 2025 | Mauritius

1 ST INTERNATIONAL CHOIR COMPETITION SARAWAK

October 15-19, 2025 | Kuching (Sarawak), Malaysia

11 TH CANTA AL MAR – FESTIVAL CORAL INTERNACIONAL

October 16-20, 2025 | Calella/Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain)

FOR INDIVIDUAL SINGERS

as of September 2024

interkultur.com /interkultur @interkulturevents @interkulturevents

40


PROJECTS

2025

MAGAZINE – COUNCIL TALK

THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE WITH DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK OF THE WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL,

ITS MEMBERS AND CURRENT NEWS FROM THE CHORAL WORLD.

WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL –

REGIONAL MEETINGS

DISCUSSION ROUNDS WITH THE WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL MEMBERS

YOUR REGION ON CURRENT TOPICS EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE AND

INFORMATION.

INVITATION

ONLINE EVENT &

LIVE EVENT

Stay tuned for what‘s coming up for you.

WCC FORUM - A PLACE TO TALK

Forum

NEXT MEETINGS: SPRING 2025 & AUTUMN 2025

MUSICA MUNDI ACADEMY SPECIAL

HELLO COUNCIL – CHINA | PACIFIC

VIRTUAL LIVE TALKS –

CONNECTING THE CHORAL WORLD

China: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Autumn 2025 | Winter 2025

WORLD CHOIR PEACE CONCERT

DURING EUROPEAN CHOIR GAMES &

GRAND PRIX OF NATIONS 2025 AARHUS, DENMARK

*Dates might subject to change.

World Choir Council c/o INTERKULTUR

Ruhberg World 1, 35463 Choir Council Fernwald c/o (Frankfurt/Main) INTERKULTUR Germany, worldchoircouncil@interkultur.com

interkultur.com

Ruhberg 1, 35463 Fernwald (Frankfurt/Main) Germany, worldchoircouncil@interkultur.com

41

interkultur.com


ONE EVENT, COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES:

SING IN AARHUS 2025!

COMPETITIONS, COACHINGS OR SINGING IN THE FESTIVAL –

FIND THE EXPERIENCE THAT SUITS YOUR CHOIR BEST!

Are you ready to showcase your choir‘s talent on an international stage? The European Choir Games &

Grand Prix of Nations in Aarhus, Denmark, is the perfect opportunity for choirs from around the globe to

come together and celebrate the universal language of music. This prestigious event, set in the vibrant city

of Aarhus, offers a unique blend of competition, camaraderie, and cultural exchange from June 28 to July 6,

2025.

There are plenty of opportunities to participate for all kinds of choirs, regardless their artistic level and

competition experience. Read further to learn more about it and find out which of the activities is the best one

for your own choir!

DENMARK

5,8 million

Population

5 Regions

Capital: Copenhagen

Currency: Krona (DKK)

Language: Danish, English,

Faroese, German

AARHUS

Copenhagen

42


COMPETITION STRUCTURE

The European Choir Games & Grand Prix of Nations Aarhus 2025 is designed to cater to choirs of all levels and

styles. Whether you‘re a seasoned competitor or a first-time participant, you can choose among a total of 10

different categories and three competition levels to find the one that suits your choir best.

• Open Competition: Welcoming choirs from all over the world who are new to the international stage or

seeking a more relaxed competitive environment. In the spirit of „Participation is the highest honor“, every

choir can participate hereto gather valuable experience in international competitions.

• European Champions Competition: This competition level is open to choirs from Europe with international

competitive experience and corresponding success aiming to compete at a higher level of competition.

Participation is subject to approval by the Artistic Committee.

• Grand Prix of Nations: Bringing together top choirs from around the world to compete for the ultimate title.

The Grand Prix of Nations is open to choirs that have corresponding international competitive experience

and that have proven their abilities in international choral competitions. Participation is subject to approval

by the Artistic Committee.

Each competition offers the chance to perform in front of an esteemed panel of international judges, receive

valuable feedback, and vie for prestigious awards. It is possible for every choir to qualify from a lower level

of competition to a higher one, allowing them to compete again during the event.

43


MORE THAN JUST COMPETITION

In addition to the main competition, the European Choir Games & Grand Prix of Nations Aarhus 2025 provides

a variety of participation opportunities to enhance the full experience. Also, participation in the competition

is not obligatory, but choirs may also choose to participate in one or more festival activities only, which are:

• Evaluation Performances: Gain insightful feedback from expert adjudicators in a non-competitive setting,

helping your choir to grow and improve. This level of participation is exclusively available to choirs who

choose not to be placed in competition but seek to sing in front of an international jury and get their

valuable feedback.

• Individual Coachings: Benefit from one-on-one sessions with a renowned international choral expert,

offering tailored advice and techniques to elevate the choir‘s performance. All participants, whether taking

part in the competitions or not, are given the opportunity to participate with their choir in such a coaching

session.

• Friendship Concerts: Engage in joyful musical exchanges with choirs from different cultures and

backgrounds. These concerts at different stages and places all over the host city foster international

friendships and create unforgettable memories through shared music-making.

• Festival Stage Choir: As an artistic highlight of the event, a festive performance of a selection of traditional

and international choral symphonic pieces will be performed at the Closing Concert. Choirs interested in

participating in this concert are invited to register for it. However, the Artistic Committee has final approval

on the selection of choirs, who must rehearse independently and arrive prepared for massed rehearsal,

which take place during the event and are obligatory for all choirs participating in the Festival Stage Choir.

So, which of these opportunities is yours? Don‘t miss the chance to be part of one of the most exciting choral

events in Europe. Join us in Aarhus in 2025 and let your choir‘s voice be heard on the grand international

stage!

For more information and to register, please visit our website.

ECG2025.EU

44


VENUES

TO BE CONTINUED.

45


JURY

AND MORE TO COME ...

46


AARHUS

DENMARK

2025

JUNE 28 - JULY 6, 2025

47

ECG2025.EU


WORLD CHOIR COUNCIL -

THANK YOU & GOOD BYE

KITTIPORN TANTRARUNGROJ

THAILAND

We would like to thank our colleague Kittiporn for

his work in the World Choir Council over the past two

years. Kittiporn has worked as a recognised choral

expert and colleague in the World Choir Council

over the past two years and, together with the other

members and us, he has further developed and

promoted the goals of the World Choir Council. On

behalf of the WCC Board and colleagues from around

the world, we would like to express our sincere

thanks to Kittiporn for his friendly co-operation and

contribution during Kittiporn‘s time as a member of

the WCC of Thailand. We look forward to staying in

touch with you and gaining your support in the future.

THANK YOU

48


Honorary Artistic Presidents

Prof. Xiaoying Zheng (China)

Prof. Dr. Ralf Eisenbeiß (Germany)

John Rutter (Great Britain)

Dr. Hak-Won Yoon (Republic of Korea)

Prof. Dr. Morten Lauridsen (USA)

Organizing Committee of the World Choir Council

IMPRINT

Publisher: INTERKULTUR & World Choir Council

Chief Editor: Qin Wang

Editors: Nicolas-Constantin Gliese,

Henriette Brockmann

Graphic Design: Ina Hennig

The digital magazine COUNCIL TALK welcomes

your letters, comments, photos and articles,

which you can send by e-mail to

worldchoircouncil@interkultur.com.

The magazine is published semiannual by

INTERKULTUR.

Copyright by INTERKULTUR. All rights reserved.

Reprinting or translation without the express

permission of INTERKULTUR is inadmissible.

INTERKULTUR Executive Committee

President: Günter Titsch (Germany)

First Vice President: Qin Wang (China)

Vice-President: Stefan Bohländer (Germany)

Secretary-General: Dr. Christoph Wirtz (Germany)

Board of the INTERKULTUR Artistic Committee

Honorary Artistic Director:

Prof. Dr. Ralf Eisenbeiß (Germany)

Senior Artistic Director:

Romans Vanags (Latvia)

Senior Artistic Director:

Johan Rooze (Netherlands/Republic of Korea)

Senior Artistic Director:

Fred Sjöberg (Sweden)

Honorary Artistic

Presidents

in memoriam

Prof. Yang Hongnian (China)

Prof. Paul Wehrle (Germany)

Mikis Theodorakis (Greece)

Prof. Eric Ericson (Sweden)

Christian Ljunggren (Sweden)

Board of the World Choir Council

President: Günter Titsch (Germany)

First Vice President: Qin Wang (China)

Vice President: Fred Sjöberg (Sweden)

Honorary Senior Advisor: Steen Lindholm (Denmark)

Senior Advisor: Prof. Jürgen Budday (Germany)

Director Communications, Marketing and

Sales: Hans-Robert Dapprich (Germany)

Advisory Board of the World Choir Council

Prof. Lingfen Wu (China)

Prof. Jürgen Budday (Germany)

Dr. Maria-Emma Meligopoulou (Greece)

Susanna Saw (Malaysia)

Michael Barrett (South Africa)

Dr. Timothy W. Sharp (USA)

Ana Laura Rey (Uruguay)

Project Management & Organizing Team

of the World Choir Council

Project Director INTERKULTUR China:

Iris Huting Byrd (China/Canada)

Project Manager of World Choir Council:

Joy Ran Tao (China)

Project Director of INTERKULTUR:

Jelena Dannhauer (Germany)

Project Coordinator of the World Choir Council:

Nicolas-Constantin Gliese (Germany)

Project Development:

Francesco Leonardi (Italy)

Artistic Director:

Johan Rooze (Netherlands/Republic of Korea)

Marketing Communications Manager:

Henriette Brockmann (Germany)

Senior Manager IT & Marketing:

Sebastian Ferstl (Germany)

Graphic Design: Ina Hennig (Germany)

Manager Film Production:

Dagmar Titsch (Germany)

Regional Committee of the World Choir Council

Carrie Tennant (Canada)

Tristan Meister (Germany)

Julio Morales (Mexico)

Bernard Krüger (South Africa)

Dr. Ryan Goessl (USA/Republic of Korea)

49


Ruhberg 1

35463 Fernwald (Frankfurt/Main)

Germany

worldchoircouncil@interkultur.com

interkultur.com

The World Choir Council is

the highest and voluntary

international advisory committee

of INTERKULTUR. The members

support and promote the exchange,

progress and development of choral art

and culture worldwide.

Photo Credits:

© AdobeStock, INTERKULTUR, Jonas Persson, Nolte Photography, Studi43,

Maîtrise De Seine-Maritime, Pieter Du Plessis

All portraits were supplied by the corresponding people

either privately or through their office.

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