History

The International May Choir Competition was established in 1975. In 1982 the competition was named after the famous Bulgarian composer Georgi Dimitrov – the founder of the modern Bulgarian choir school. Since1989 the International May Choir Competition has been a member of the Organizing Committee of the European Choral Grand Prix Competition, which is held in Arezzo (Italy) Debrecen (Hungary), Tours (France), Maribor (Slovenia), Varna (Bulgaria ) and Tolosa (Spain).

The six aforesaid choral competitions are among the most prestigious in Europe and they have won recognition thanks to there longstanding traditions, good organization and high artistic level. The competition is held annually in accordance with the Regulations, which are updated for each edition and adopted by the Municipal Council. The contest has the following main objectives:

– Promotion of Bulgarian choral art and vocal works. In accordance with the Regulations one compulsory Bulgarian song for each category is included in the competitive programme. There is also a special prize for best performance of Bulgarian song by a foreign choir.

– Promotion of European choral heritage from different epochs and styles among children and young people.

– Exchange of scores, exchange of information, contacts between Bulgarian and foreign conductors, singers and choral figures.

– Acquaintance of foreign participants with the rich Bulgarian culture, hospitality and natural landmarks of Bulgaria.

Award Winners

Holder Of Varna 2017 by categories

Varna 2017 Grand Prix

The Stockholms Musikgymnasium Chamber Choir (Stockholm, Sweden),

Conductor: Helene Stureborg

Men’s and Women’s choirs

1st prize – not awarded

Mixed choirs

1st prize – The Stockholms Musikgymnasium Chamber choir

Chamber choirs

1st prize – “Fortissimo” Vocal Ensamble, Burgas, Bulgaria

Conductor: Milena Dobreva

Prof. Marin Chonev prize for best conductor

Jurģis Cābulis , conductor , Carnikava’s chamber choir Vēja balss

Special prize awarded by Petko Gruev Staynov foundation for best performance of Bulgarian song by a foreign choir

Carnikava’s chamber choir Vēja balss for the Bulgarian song “Svetliat dazht” from the composer Milko Kolarov

Special prize for a song from the Bulgarian composer Ivan Spasov

Capella Ad Libitum Bas, Sofia, Bulgaria

Conductor: Dr. Maria Valchanova

Special prize awarded by the Bulgarian choral union for choir with brightest creative achievement of the Competition

“Fortissimo” Vocal Ensamble, Burgas, Bulgaria

Conductor: Milena Dobreva

Holder Of Varna 2016 by categories

Varna 2016 Grand Prix

Mixed choir of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Sola”, Riga, Latvia

Conductor: Kaspars Adamsons

Men’s and Women’s choirs

1st prize – Ensemble Vocapella Limburg, Raubach, Germany

Conductor: Tristan Meister

Mixed choirs

1st prize – Mixed choir of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Sola”, Riga, Latvia

Conductor: Kaspars Adamsons

1st prize – The Archipelago Singers, Jakarta, Indonesia

Conductor: Ega O. Azarya

Chamber choirs

Kaamos Chamber Choir, Helsinki, Finland

Conductor: Dani Juris

Prof. Marin Chonev prize for best conductor

Ensemble Vocapella Limburg, Raubach, Germany

Conductor: Tristan Meister

Special prize awarded by Petko Gruev Staynov foundation for best performance of Bulgarian song by a foreign choir

Mixed choir of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Sola”, Riga, Latvia

Conductor: Kaspars Adamsons

For the song “Slance barza” from the composer Aleksandar Tanev

Special prize awarded by the Bulgarian choral union for choir with brightest creative achievement of the Competition

Choir Musicanova – Rome, Italy

Conductor: Fabrizio Barchi

Special prize for a song from the Bulgarian composer Ivan Spasov

Wakayama Children’s Choir

Conductor: Haruhiko Numamaru

Holder Of Varna 2015 by categories

Varna 2015 Grand Prix

UT Insieme Vocale-Consonante – Santa Firmina, Italy

Conductor: Lorenzo Donati

Men’s and Women’s choirs

1st prize – Batavia Madrigal Singers – Jakarta, Indonesia

Conductor: Avip Priatna

Mixed choirs

Harlanda Kammarkor – Goteborg, Sweden

Conductor: David Molin

Chamber choirs

UT Insieme Vocale-Consonante – Santa Firmina, Italy

Conductor: Lorenzo Donati

Prof. Marin Chonev prize for best conductor

Choir Alabrea – Sofia, Bulgaria

Conductor: Atanaska Popova

Special prize awarded by Petko Gruev

Staynov foundation for best performance of Bulgarian song by a foreign choir

Harlanda Kammarkor – Goteborg, Sweden

Conductor: David Molin for the song “Izgreyalo yasno slance” from the composer Petko Staynov

Special prize awarded by the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance figures for the best young conductor

Choir Lautitia Gyermekkar – Debrecen, Hungary

Conductor: Jozef Nemes

Special prize for a song from the Bulgarian composer Ivan Spasov

UT Insieme Vocale-Consonante – Santa Firmina, Italy

Conductor: Lorenzo Donati

Holder Of Varna 2014 by categories

Varna 2014 Grand Prix

Choir Cantores Amicitiae – Iasi, Romania

Conductor: Nicolae Gisca

Women’s and men’s choirs

1st prize – Vocal ensemble Brevis – Osijek, Croatia

Conductor: Antoaneta Radocaj-Jerkovic

Mixed choirs

1st prize – Bogazici Jazz Choir – Istanbul, Turkey

Conductor: Masis Aram Gozbek

Youth choirs

1st prize – not awarded

Prof. Marin Chonev prize for best conductor

Chamber Choir Collegium Musicum Berlin – Berlin, Germany,

Conductor Donka Miteva,

Special prize awarded by Petko Gruev Staynov foundation for best performance of bulgarian song by a foreign choir

Vocal ensemble Brevis – Osijek, Croatia,

Conductor: Antoaneta Radocaj-Jerkovic for the song – Vytarat i momcheto (Wind and the Boy) by the composer Konstantin Iliev

Special prize by the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance figures for the best young conductor

Bogazici Jazz Choir – Istanbul, Turkey

Conductor: Masis Aram Gozbek

Holder Of Varna 2012 by categories

Varna 2012 Grand Prix

Batavia Madrigal Singers – Jakarta, Indonesia

Conductor: Avip Priatna

Chamber Choirs:

l-st prize – not awarded

Mixed Choirs:

l-st prize – Batavia Madrigal Singers – Jakarta, Indonesia

Conductor: Avip Priatna

Youth Choirs:

l-st prize – Lautitia Choir – Debrecen, Hungary

Conductor: Jozsef Nemes

A special prize for the conductor performance

Batavia Madrigal Singers – Jakarta, Indonesia

Conductor: Avip Priatna

A prize from Petko Stainov Fondation

for performance of Bulgarian song

Crescendo Choir – Krivoy Rog, Ukraine

Conductor: Victoria Sergeeva

Special prize from Union Of Bulgarian Musician and Dancers for the best conductor performance at the competition

Cantemus Choir – Chisinau, Moldova

Conductor: Denis Ceausov

Holder Of Varna 2011 by categories

Varna 2011 Grand Prix

ATENEO DE MANILA COLLEGE GLEE CLUB – Quezon city, Phillipines,

Conductor: Maria Lourdes V. Hermo

Women’s And Men’s Choirs

PRIMORSKI AKADEMSKI ZBOR VINKO VODOPIVEC Ljubljana, Slovenia,

Conductor: Primoz Malavasic

Chamber Choirs

1-st prize – not awarded

Mixed Choirs

ATENEO DE MANILA COLLEGE GLEE CLUB – Quezon city, Phillipines,

Conductor: Maria Lourdes V. Hermo

Boys’ and girls’ choirs up to 18 years old

1-st prize – not awarded

A special prize for conductor performance

WLADYSLAW PACHOTA,

Conductor of the Girl’s Choir Puellae Orantes – Tarnow, Poland

A prize from Petko Stainov Fondation for performance of Bulgarian song

Bulgarian song Zvezdi from Emil Tabakov Kiev Glier College Chamber Choir Kiev, Ukraine

Conductor: Zoya Tomson

Special Prize for performance of a song by the Bulgarian composer Ivan Spasov – awarded by Ivan Spasov Foundation

For performance of the song Begala Rada, Rado le Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club – Quezon city, Phillipines,

Conductor: Maria Lourdes V. Hermo

Special prize from Union Of Bulgarian Musicians And Dancers for the best conductor performance at the competition

MARIA BULAT – Conductor

GIRL’S CHOIR OF AKHREMCHIK ART COLLEGE, Minsk, Belarus

Holder Of Varna 2010 by categories

Varna 2010 Grand Prix

Mixed Choir CITTA Dl ROMA, Roma, Italy Conductor:

Mauro Marchetti

Mixed choirs:

Mixed Choir CITTA Dl ROMA, Roma, Italy Conductor:

Mauro Marchetti

Women’s and men’s choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber choirs:

Mixed Choir CITTA Dl ROMA, Roma, Italy Conductor:

Mauro Marchetti

Boys’ and girls’ choirs up to IB years old

1-st Prize not awarded

A special prize for conductor performance

Mauro Marchetti Conductor of the Mixed Choir

CITTA Dl ROMA, Roma, Italy

A prize from Petko Stainov Fondation for

performance of Bulgarian song

Bulgarian song Bialo utro, from Alexander Tekeliev

Mixed Choir CITTA Dl ROMA,

Roma, Italy

Conductor: Mauro Marchetti

Holder Of Varna 2009 by categories

Varna 2009 Grand Prix

SALESKI AKADEMSKI PEVSKI ZBOR – Velenje, Slovenia,

Conductor: Danica Pirecnik

Mixed choirs:

SALESKI AKADEMSKI PEVSKI ZBOR – Velenje, Slovenia,

Conductor: Danica Pirecnik

Women’s and men’s choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber choirs:

1-st Prize – Chamber choir ANTIPHONA – Maracaibo,

Venezuela, Conductor: A. Garrido

Boys’ and girls’ choirs up to IB years old

1-st Prize – Children choir CANTICA – Zlin, Czech Republic,

Conductor: Josef Surovik

A special prize for conductor performance

Danica Pirecnik, Coductor of SALESKI AKADEMSKI

PEVSKI ZBOR – Velenje, Slovenia

A prize from Petko Stainov Fondation for

performance of Bulgarian song

Bulgarian song Gaydar, from Svetoslav Obretenov

Children choir CANTEMUS,

Chisinau, Moldova

Holder Of Varna 2008 by categories

Varna 2008 Grand Prix

Mixed Choir AKADEMSKI PEVSKI ZBOR UNIVERZE NA PRIMORSKEM (APZ UP), Koper / Slovenia, flupuaeHm

Ambroz Copi

Mixed choirs:

Mixed choir Akademski Pevski Zbor Univerze Na Primorskem (APZ UP), Koper / Slovenia,

Conductor: Ambroz Copi

Non-mixed choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber Ensembles:

1-st Prize not awarded

A special prize for conductor performance

Krechko Natalia Mihailovna, Conductor of Mixed choir ANIMA Kiev, Ukraine

A special prize for the best performance of a Bulgarian song by a forcing choir Bulgarian song „Do Utre”,

Akademski Pevski Zbor Univerze Na Primorskem (APZ UP), Koper, Slovenia,

Conductor: Ambroz Copi

Holder Of Varna 2007 by categories

Varna 2007 Grand Prix

APZ Tone Tomsic, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Conductor: Ursa Lah

Mixed choirs:

APZ Tone Tomsic, Ljubljana, Slovenia Conductor:

Ursa Lah

Non-mixed choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Children choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber ensembles:

1-st Prize not awarded

A special prize for conductor performance

APZ Tone Tomsic, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Conductor: Ursa Lah

A special prize for the best performance of a Bulgarian song by a foreing choir

Mixed Choir Youth Choir Balsis, Riga, Latvia

Conductor: Inta Teterovski

A prize form Petko Stainov Fondation for performance of Bulgarian song

Lefe Yano Men’s Choir Gavriil Muzicescu, Chisinau, Moldova

Conductor: Emilia Moraru

Children’s choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber choirs:

Women’s Chamber Ensemble – Taegu, South Korea,

Conductor: Jay-Joon Lee

Holder Of Varna 2005 by categories

Varna 2005 Grand Prix

Allmanna Sangen, Sweden

Holder of Varna 2005 Grand Prix:

University Youth Choir Bilkent – Ankara, Turkey

Conductor: Elena Pushkova

Mixed Choir:

University Youth Choir Bilkent – Ankara, Turkey

Conductor: Elena Pushkova

Non-mixed Choirs:

Women’s Choir Puellae – Pecs, Hungary

Conductor: Valer Jobaggy

Children’s Choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber Choirs:

Women’s Choir Puellae – Pecs, Hungary

Conductor: Valer Jobaggy

Holder Of Varna 2003 by categories

Varna 2003 Grand Prix

Chamber choir of San Antonio Collage,Walnut, California,

USA, conductor Bruce Rogers

Mixed Choirs:

Chamber choir of San Antonio Collage, Walnut, California, USA,

Conductor: Bruce Rogers

Non-mixed Choirs:

Women’s choir Renaissansce, Kishinau, Moldova,

Conductor: Oksana Philip

Children Choirs:

Children choir Vesna, Moskow, Russia,

Conductor: Aleksander Ponomarev

Chamber Ensembles:

Chamber choir of San Antonio Collage, Walnut, California USA,

Conductor: Bruce Rogers

Holder Of Varna 2001 by categories

Varna 2001 Grand Prix

Academic Choir Tone Tomcich – Lyublyana, Slovenia,

Conductor: Stoyan Kuret

Mixed choirs:

Academic Choir Tone Tomcich – Lyublyana, Slovenia,

Conductor: Stoyan Kuret

Non-mixed choirs:

Women’s Choir – Taegu, South Korea,

Conductor: Jay-Joon Lee

Children’s choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber choirs:

Women’s Chamber Ensemble – Taegu, South Korea,

Conductor: Jay-Joon Lee

Holder Of Varna 1999 by categories

Varna 1999 Grand Prix

Within the framework of the 25 th International May Choir Competitionfor the second time in Varna is held The European Grand Prix

Holder of Grand Prix Europe

Vocal Ensemble – Lind, Sweden,

Conductor: Ingemar Masson

Holder of Varna’93 Grand Prix:

The USC Chamber Choir, Los Angeles,South California The USA,

Conductor: William Dehning

Mixed choirs:

The USC Chamber Choir, Los Angeles, South California The USA,

Conductor: William Dehning

Non-mixed choirs:

The Ankor Choir – Jerusalem, Israel, 

Conductor: Dafna Ben-Yohanan

Children’s choirs:

Vdahnovenie Concert Choir at the Children’s music

Shcool N 106 – Moscow, Russia, coductor Olga Skvorcova

Holder Of Varna 1997 by categories

Varna 1997 Grand Prix

University of Mississippi – Oxford, USA

Conductor: Jerry Jordan

Mixed choirs:

University of Mississippi – Oxford, USA

Conductor: Jerry Jordan

Non-mixed choirs:

Women’s Choir Renaissance – Kishinev, Moldova

Conductor: Teodor Zgurianu

Children’s choirs:

Sofia Boy’s Choir – Sofia, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Adriana Blagoeva

Children’s Choir Vesnyanka – Moscow, Russia

Conductor: Lyubov Aldakova

Chamber choirs:

Chamber Choit of University of Mississippi – Oxford, USA

Conductor: Jerry Jordan

Vocal Group Olisipo – Lisbon, portugal,

Conductor: Armando Possante

Holder Of Varna 1995 by categories

Varna 1995 Grand Prix

The Academic Choir – Vinitsa, Ukraine,

Conductor: Vitali Gazinski

Mixed choirs:

The Academic Choir – Vinitsa, Ukraine,

Conductor: Vitali Gazinski

Non-Mixed choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Children’s choirs:

Polyot – Zhoukovski, Russia, 

Conductor: Tatiana Selishteva

Chamber choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Within the framework of the 23d International May Choir Competition for the first time in Varna is held The European Grand Prix

Holder of Grand Prix Europe’93:

Mixed Chamber Choir Jauna Musika – Vilnius, Lithuania,

Conductor: Vaclovas Augustinas and Romas skapas

Holder of Varna ’93 Grand Prix:

Vidrozhdenia Chamber Choir – Kiev, Ukraine

Conductor: Mstislav Yurchenko

Mixed choirs:

Podlipki Academic Choir – Kaliningrad, Russia, conductor

Boris Tolochkov

Non-mixed choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Children’s choirs:

1-st Prize not awarded

Chamber choirs:

Vidrozhdenia Chamber Choir – Kiev, Ukraine

Holder Of Varna 1981 by categories

Mixed choirs:

Georgi Kirkov Representative Mixed Choir – Sofia,

Bulgaria, conductor Samuel Vidas

Men’s choirs:

Men’s Choir – Vilnius, Lithuania, conductor Vitautas

Mishkinis

Children’s choirs:

Iskra Children’s Choir – Kazanlak, Bulgaria, conductor

Petya Pavlovich

Chamber choirs:

Women’s Chamber Choir at the Higher Institute for

Music Education – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, conductor Krikor

Chetinyan

Holder Of Varna 1979 by categories

Mixed choirs:

Rodna Pesen Mixed Choir – Burgas, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Stoyan Kralev

Men’s choirs:

Kavai People’s Choir – Sofia, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Mihail Milkov

Children’s choirs:

Bodra smiana Representative Children’s Choir, Sofia, Bulgaria, 

Conductor: Liliyana Bocheva

Chamber choirs:

Lyubomir Pipkov Sofia Chamber Choir – Sofia, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Vasil Arnaudov

Holder Of Varna 1977 by categories

Mixed choirs:

Mixed Choir at the Medical Academy – Gdansk, Poland,

Conductor: Irineusz Lukaszewski

Men’s choirs:

Emanuil Manoiov Men’s Choir – Gabrovo, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Christo Arishtirov

Women’s choirs:

Not awarded Children’s choirs:

Children’s Choir – Dobrich, Bulgaria, 

Conductor: Zahari Mednikarov

Chamber choirs:

Penio Penev Chamber Capella – House of Culture of Bulgarian Workers – Sofia, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Ivelin Dimitrov

Holder Of Varna 1975 by categories

Mixed choirs:

Morski zvutsi Choir – Varna, Bulgaria, conductor Marin Chonev Mixed Choir of Students and Young Men and Women – Moscow, Russia, conductor Boris Tevlin

Men’s choirs:

Sofia Men’s Choir – Sofia, Bulgaria, 

Conductor: Valentin Bobevski

Women’s choirs:

Christina Morfova Women’s Choir – Sofia, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Lilia Gyuleva

Children’s choirs:

Children’s Choir at the Committee for TV and Radio Sofia, Bulgaria,

Conductor: Christo Nedialkov Children’s Choir – Maribor, Yugoslavia,