PARTICIPANTS 2025
Raffles Singers
Raffles Singers was founded in 2001 when alumni singers, the recipient of the 1999 Choir of the Year, reunited for a full house at the Victoria Concert Hall. Since its inaugural concert, Raffles Singers has become a premier choir in Singapore, drawing choristers from top school choirs, accomplished choral conductors, music teachers and experienced singers.
Under the artistic direction of conductor Toh Ban Sheng, Raffles Singers has clinched top honours in Europe. To date, it has emerged a triple Grand Prix winner in the 3rd International Copernicus Choir Festival and Competition in Torun (2015), the 12th International Bratislava Choir Festival (2019), and the 2nd Salzburg International Choral Celebration and Competition (2019) and become the first Singapore choir in more than 20 years to be featured at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona (2017), besides garnering numerous top prizes in Olomouc (2006), Prague (2008), and Linz (2023).
As it celebrates 25 years of choral passion and excellence, Raffles Singers continues to enthral audiences local and abroad with its signature sound and programming.
Toh Ban Sheng is an artistic director, conductor, composer, editor and vocal coach. He is an active member in the choral world, who has been invited to adjudicate, conduct, and teach in more than 25 countries.
Starting out as a self-taught musician, former Physics teacher Toh completed two master’s degrees in Choral Conducting and Voice from the USA. Toh has since been recognized as an eminent conductor, garnering more than 70 gold awards, 8 Grands Prix, numerous Champions and Jury Prizes, and 7 Conductor’s Prizes.
At home, his choirs were crowned Choir of the Year in consecutive years. He is honoured to have conducted the 800-strong National Day Combined Choir on live telecast. In recognition of his artistic achievements, Toh was conferred the national Young Artist Award and the Honorary Member of the Choral Directors Association of Singapore.
He founded Resonance of Singapore, the first charity organisation helmed by the professional ROS Singers. Currently, he serves as the Artistic Director of the International Choral Festival Orientale Concentus and edits for Earthsongs’ Toh Ban Sheng Choral Series (USA). Having written also for the International Choral Bulletin, his autobiography The Accidental Conductor was published in 2010.
Hots Abesbatza
Hots Abesbatza was created in September 2016 under the direction of Aitor Biain Bidarte. It is currently composed of about 40 women from Oñati and neighbouring towns, and counts with the participation of the pianist Amaia Zipitria. The choir, together with Ganbara Kantu Eskola, Oñatiko Ganbara Abesbatza and the orchestra Aequus Ensemble conform Ganbara Faktoria.
Since its creation, as a sign of its commitment to society, Ganbara Faktoria has wanted to do its bit through music, addressing different issues in the field of social responsibility. Examples of this are: “Oroimenean”: (performance and cd recording) production that stages the theme of Alzheimer’s, “Amalurra”: a show created as a journey through nature, “Gaueko andreak”: a show focused on characters from Basque mythology, “Gaixorik nago, eta zer?”: a show created with the aim of staging the reality of cancer from the point of view of a sick person, accompanied by multimedia resources. Every year, on the occasion of the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 it organizes different events to recognize and value the work of women. Another of Hots Abesbatza’s commitments is to promote the creation of Basque compositions. An example of this are the works by Junkal Guerrero, Eva Ugalde and Josu Elberdin, created on commission for the above-mentioned productions.
The choir has obtained the following awards from prestigious national and international competitions. Third prize at the “LV Certamen de la Canción Marinera” (San Vicente de la Barquera) in 2024, first place in its category at the 71st International Polyphony Competition “Guido d’Arezzo” (Arezzo, Italy) in 2023, and third prize and audience award at the “49 Certamen Coral de Ejea de los Caballeros” (Zaragoza, Spain) in 2022.
Aitor Biain Bidarte started his studies at the Music School in Oñati (Gipuzkoa), Basque Country, learning clarinet, saxophone and voice. He was awarded a Computer Science Engineering Degree by Mondragon University and studied voice at the School of Music Jesus Guridi in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Afterwards, he finished his Pedagogy of Music studies (as well as choir and orchestral conducting) at the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country-Musikene. He has completed the Master of Musical Research at the UNIR university, and has received training in Cultural Management. He is currently studying Musicology and has undertaken conducting courses through the Choral Association of the Basque Country.
He is the conductor of the Choir of the University of the Basque Country, “Orfeón of Bergara”, Oñatiko Ganbara Abesbatza choir, Hots Abesbatza choir, and Ganbara Kantu Eskola choir, with whom he has performed a wide variety of national and European tours, as well as performing concerts at the most prestigious concert halls in the Basque Country and abroad. His most notable awards include: Best Conductor at the International Choir Competition “Florilège Vocal” (2017) in Tours (France) and at the International Choir Competition “Fondazione Guido d’Arezzo” (Italy) in 2015.
He has conducted and edited 5 disc recordings and has released more than 30 choral works from different composers. He also regularly offers workshops and seminars. He was the assistant conductor to the Choir of the Cathedral of Vitoria-Gasteiz, conducted by Carlos Mena.
Since 2020 he has been conductor of the Oñati Wind Band and the Aequus Ensemble symphony orchestra. In the 2019-21 season he was director of the EHGA choir (Euskal Herriko Gazte Abesbatza) with Basilio Astulez. Since 2024 he has been a conducting professor in ZUZENDARI (Conducting school) of the Confederation of Choirs of the Basque Country.
Lautitia Children’s Choir
The Children’s choir is working in Szent Efrém Elementary School in Debrecen. The choir was established in 1959, as Lautitia Children’s Choir since 2006, when József Nemes started to work in the school. Since the foundation of the choir they participated in several hungarian and international choir competitions and festivals. They participate in Kodály Filharmónia in Debrecen and Csokonai Theatre and they also serve for the Greek Catholic Church. In 2018 they were participants of the 15. Concorso Corale International Choir Competition in Italy, where they won in their category and also could compete for the Grand Prize. In 2019 they participated in 67. International Polyphonic Competition Guido d’Arezzo, where they got 1st prize in contemporary category which qualified them for the competition of Grand Prix. After the pandemic situation their first challеnge was in 2022 in Gorizia, where they got two third prizes. Next year, in 2023 in Salzburg they won their categories and also the Grand Prize of the competition. In 2024 in Concorso Corale International Choir Competition first prize in Children’s Choirs category and participation at the Grand Prix. Beside these results the most important thing is that in Lautitia Choir family everybody loves and respects each other and the possibility of common creation means constant challenge in their everyday life.
Jozsef Nemes was born in 1983 and since his primary school studies he has been dealing with music. Has has been conducting the Children’s Choir since 2007. Earlier he was also the member of this choir. After establishing the other two choirs, Lautitia Mixed Youth Choir and Lautitia Chamber Choir, he has been working comitted to represent not only the diversive cultural life of the choirs’ hometown Debrecen but also the Greek Catholic Church and its moral principals. His work is fundamentaly based on the theory of Zoltán Kodály which is a very important point of reference for the choir members as well. His aim is to transmit pleasure and profound emotions during their performances and to experience some exceptional moments with his choir singers. His musical and pedagogical vocation has been acknowledged with several international conductor’s special prizes. Besides he earned Artisjus, Bonis Bona, Saint Gerald prizes and also became Excellent Educator of the city of Debrecen. He was the member of international jury in Varna and Gorizia in 2017. From 2024 he is the director of Béla Bartók International Choir Competition. However the biggest pleasure and feedback for him is that the community is a stabile and fundamental part of not only his choir singers’ but also his life.
Gratia Choir of Soegijapranata Catholic University
Gratia Choir is the official student choir of Soegijapranata Catholic University from Semarang, Indonesia established since 1991. Most of the member are undergraduate students from any major departments. Gratia Choir actively participates in university events such as graduation ceremonies, mass in the chapel, and dies natalis celebrations. The choir has built a strong reputation in some national and international choral events. Over the years, Gratia Choir has received many awards: In 2019 at the 33rd Praga Cantat International Choir Festival 2019 (Czech Republic): 1st Place in the Female Choir Category, the Foklore Category, 2nd Place in the Young Choir Category, Special Prize for the Best Conductor and Grand Prix Finalist Award. At the 8th Canta Al Mar-Festival Coral Internacional 2019 (Spain): Winner in the Folklore Category, Winner of the Equal Voices Category, 2nd Place, Gold Medal in the Musica Sacra Category and Grand Prix Finalist. At the 4th Voices for Peace International Choir Festival 2023 (Italy): Winner in the Chamber Choirs and Vocal Ensembles of Equal Voices a cappella Category, Winner in the Mixed Choirs Category, 2nd Place, Gold Diploma in the Folklore Category rand Prix Finalist. And one of the newest and biggest achievement was the Most Attractive Performance, Audience Award, Special Award for Popularizing Latvian Music to the world, and became the runner up (2nd place) in the 6th International Baltic Sea Choir Competition 2023 which has now become one of the six hosts of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP) in Jurmala, Latvia.
Alfonso Wiratma is a self-taught vocal trainer, who has gone through vocal and conducting training with Aning Katamsi and Avip Priatna at The Resonanz Music (Jakarta), composition workshops and clinics with Jonathan Velasco (Philippines), Christian Grases (Miami), and Budi Susanto Yohanes (Jakarta) and symposiums and masterclasses with Prof. Andre de Quadros (Boston, USA), Stella Chou (Singapore), Mark Anthoni (Philippines), Stacey V Gibbs (USA), Paul Phoenix (United Kingdom), Billy Kristanto (Indonesia), Anna Tabita Abeleda (Philippines), and Andre Clark (USA).
He is currently a choir coach at several schools and universities in Semarang and Lampung and is often invited as a speaker at choir workshops and judge at choir competitions. He has won a lot of individual awards for conducting: Outstanding Conductor at “Asia Cantate International Choir Competition” in Hong Kong, 2018; Best Conductor at Rhapsody International Choral Festival in Jakarta, 2019; Outstanding Conductor at “Praga Cantat” International Choral Competition and Festival in Prague, Czech Republic, 2019 and others.
He’s the artistic director of the choral festivals Soegijapranata, Unika Soegijapranata Semarang, and Fransiskus Bandar Lampung, SMA Fransiskus Bandar Lampung. He has conducted different choirs such as Domsav, Semarang, Soegijapranata Catbolic University Student Choir, Gratia and others, with which he has won many national and international awards.
Female Chamber Choir MUUSAD
Founded in 2019 and based in Tallinn under Musamari Choral School, Female Chamber Choir MUUSAD unites singers who have performed together since childhood alongside their conductor, Ode Pürg.
Their repertoire spans Romantic choral works and contemporary Estonian music. MUUSAD has collaborated with some of Estonia’s most important cultural institutions, including Eesti Kontsert, Tallinn Music Week, and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. The choir has won 1st place (equal voices) at the Tallinn International Choir Competition 2023, 2nd place at the Estonian Chamber Choir Festival, and 3rd place at the Baltic Sea Choir Competition.
Notable performances include Lauliku kroonimine, their 5th-anniversary concert featuring Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Tormis’s Songs about Songs and the Singer with the Tallinn International Youth Orchestra, and a Brahms-only concert, showcasing their passion for Romantic music. Another milestone was performing Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Estonian National Male Choir and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, two of the country’s most renowned professional ensembles.
Ode Pürg (1999) is an Estonian conductor with a master’s degree from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (cum laude). She also studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice and refined her skills in masterclasses with Dr. Zoltán Pad, Paavo Järvi, Georg Grün and Risto Joost.
As an artistic director, she has led productions like Tasakaal, her graduation concert (Schönberg: Friede auf Erden and Martin: Mass for Double Choir), and Lauliku kroonimine, MUUSAD’s 5th-anniversary concert with orchestra, soloists, and folk dancers. She conducted at the Harjumaa Song Festival, a major regional choral event (2024), and will debut at the Estonian Song Festival in 2025. She was also the artistic director of the Estonian Choral Association’s Annual Awards (2022). She is the chief conductor of the mixed choirs HUIK! and Vikerlased, as well as FCC MUUSAD.
Pürg has led her choirs to six international awards, won 3rd place at the 2024 Estonian Young Conductors’ Competition, and received the Estonian Young Conductor Award (2022).
Jazzberry Tunes
Jazzberry Tunes was founded in 2014 by students and alumni of Middle East Technical University, led by Yiğit Deniz and Mustafa Çağlayan Durmaz. The choir is dedicated to innovation, performing jazz and contemporary works in 14 languages while showcasing Türkiye’s polyphonic choral heritage. Their mission is to push musical boundaries and bring fresh perspectives to choral singing.
Jazzberry Tunes has performed across Türkiye and internationally, gaining recognition at major festivals and competitions. In 2019, they represented Türkiye at the Les Choralies festival in France. In 2022, they performed at the Leading Voices event in the Netherlands, organized by the European Choral Association. In 2023, they were selected by IFCM for the World Symposium on Choral Music in Istanbul. In 2024, they performed at the 59th International Choral Festival in Barcelona, singing at Sagrada Familia, Montserrat, and Santa Maria del Pi, and collaborated with choral educator Beth Gibbs.
Yiğit Deniz is a conductor and artistic director of Jazzberry Tunes. He was born in 1990 in Eskişehir, Türkiye. In addition to his studies in Mechanical Engineering at Middle East Technical University, he participated in Yıldız İbrahimova’s Performative Jazz class and sang in the METU Voice Choir.
In 2014, he founded Jazzberry Tunes with his classmates from the Performative Jazz class and has been conducting the choir since its inception. He has attended choral conducting workshops led by Dénes Szabó and Régis Harquel and received vocal coaching training from Arda Doğan. Additionally, he has contributed to various projects of Lemur Sanat, Türkiye’s leading amateur musical theater group, as a music director, orchestra conductor, and performer.
Since 2020, he has served on the board of the Choral Culture Association, and as of 2024, he is also a board member of the European Choral Association. He actively works to promote choral culture and raise awareness of choral music in Türkiye.
Insieme Vocale Vox Cordis
The Insieme Vocale was established in 1997 and conducted by Maestro Lorenzo Donati. It is recognized as one of the best Italian choirs, for prizes obtained in choral competitions and for the quality of the cultural initiatives in which it has participated or organized. The choir has performed over 1000 concerts in various parts of Italy and Europe, collaborating with prestigious musicians and performers such as Peter Broadbent, Orchestra Camerata di Prato, Nicole Corti, Luis De Pablo, Burak Onur Erdem, Roberto Fabbriciani, Sofia Gioldasi, Gary Graden, Ursa Lah, Orchestra Citta di Grosseto, Orchestra OrtAttack, Ragnar Rasmussen, Valerio Sannicandro and many others.
The Insieme Vocale Vox Cordis has won prizes in the most important national and international choral competitions including: Third prize in Arezzo (1998), Special Prizes in Gorizia (1999, 2003), First Prize in Senlis (2004), First Prize and Grand Prize Efrem Casagrande in Vittoria Veneto (2003), Second and Third Prize in Montreux (2010), First Prize in Cantonigros (2011), Second Prize and Special Prizes at the Florilege Vocal de Tours (2013), Second and Third Prize in Montreux (2014) and Rimini (2016).
The Vox Cordis organizes the Diventinventi choral festival, the national competition for choir director “Le mani in suono”, the international competition for choir directors “Magister Inside”, the choral meeting “Festa della Voce” and many other cultural activities. With various vocal groups, the Vox Cordis Vocal Ensemble has recorded several CDs, from Gregorian chant to contemporary works.
Composer, conductor and violinist. Lorenzo Donati was educated at the Accademia Chigiana di Siena, and the Accademia di Francia. He studied composition with Pascal Dusapin, Ennio Morricone, Rosario Mirigliano, Romano Pezzati, Camillo Togni and Azio Corghi. He attended conducting classes with Rinaldo Alessandrini, René Clemencic, Ottavio Dantone, Diego Fasolis, Roberto Gabbiani, Gary Graden, Carl Høgset and Peter Neuman.
He has received commissions from prestigious choirs like: Grex Vocalis Oslo, Philippines Madrigal Singers, St. Jacobs Kammarkör and organisations like: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Fano International Festival. He has conducted important choral projects such as EuroChoir (2016, 2017), the Turkish State Choir and the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir. He works with famous orchestras and musicians.
He also leads Insieme Vocale Vox Cordis (since 1997), UT Insieme Vocale-Consonante (since 2014), Coro Giovanile Italiano (2011-2015), Hesperimenta Vocal Ensemble (1996-2011), conductor of the professional choir Coro della Cattedrale di Siena Guido Chigi Saracini (since 2016). He is a professor at the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello in Venice, teaches at the Chigiana Summer Academy in Siena and at the Accademia Corale Italiana.
He has also won first and special prizes in various international competitions like the ones in Arezzo, Cantonigros, Gorizia, Montreux, Senlis, Tour and others. In 2016, together with the UT Ensemble, he won the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Varna, Bulgaria. He’s has won first prizes in many composition competitions.
Adam Mickiewicz University Academic Choir
The Adam Mickiewicz University Academic Choir has been continuing the choral tradition of the Wielkopolska region for almost 60 years. The choir was founded in 1966 in Poznań, the city with a long history, connecting modern art with traditional Polish choral music. Thanks to music theaters and festivals, Poznań gained the reputation as “the city of choirs”. The choir is composed of like-minded people from different backgrounds, sharing their true passion, high abilities and honest readiness to sing. Over the past 20 years, the ensemble has performed in numerous prestigious venues around the world, including the Vatican (2001), the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. (2001), New York’s Ground Zero at the ruins of the World Trade Center (2001), Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal (2002), Haus des Rundfunks in Berlin (2003), the National Concert Hall in Taipei (2005), Tokyo City Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, and the Berlin Cathedral (2006), as well as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York (2007) and the ‘Misiones de Chiquitos’ Festival in Bolivia (2008 and 2010).
The group performed in almost all European countries as well as the USA, Ecuador, Vietnam, Canada, Bolivia, China, Japan and Taiwan. They also performed together with famous artists such as: Placido Domingo, Aleksandra Kurzak and Andrea Bocelli. The Academic Choir’s performances withhold the rich Polish tradition of choir singing. The main artistic goal that the conductor and all the singers would like to convey is to bring joy to people through their common passion for singing. Music from heart to heart!
Beata Bielska is a conductor, music educator and vocalist. A graduate of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, where she completed her studies at the Faculty of Choral Conducting, Music Education, and Church Music under the tutelage of Professor Magdalena Wdowicka-Mackiewicz. She is also a graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin State Music School in Olsztyn, where she studied cello under Professor Józef Bartkowski. Although she is involved in a wide range of musical projects, her greatest passion lies in choral music. She founded her first vocal ensemble in her hometown of Olsztyn at the age of 14 and led it until leaving for university in Poznań. Shortly after relocating, she joined the Adam Mickiewicz University Academic Choir, performing as both a chorister and soloist under the direction of Jacek Sykulski. Since 2010, she has held the position of conductor of the Adam Mickiewicz University Academic Choir, shaping its artistic vision while honoring the ensemble’s long-standing traditions. Under her leadership, the choir has participated in a wide variety of projects—both symphonic and a cappella—exploring the full expressive potential and coloristic richness of the most perfect musical instrument: the human voice.
Cantus Children’s Choir
Founded in 2003 by professor Marian Cristi Stroe, the CANTUS Children’s Choir engages in various cultural events in the country and abroad, enhancing the cultural activity from Râmnicu Vâlcea. The choir has taken part in different regional and national events, like the 2016 and 2017 National Choral Olympics, the 2017 celebration of the city Râmnicu Vâlcea, events in 2020 at the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum in Bucharest and in the Children’s Comic Opera in Bucharest in 2022. The choir has also sang in Sibiu on the same stage with Madrigal — ”Marin Constantin” National Chamber Choir in April 2023 and opened for the annual Carol’s Concert of the ”Antim Ivireanul” mixed choir of Ramnicu Valcea Archdiocese in December 2023.
As for international events, the choir took part in an international project with Piccoli Cantori, Torino, Italy in 2003. Then in 2017 performed at the International Choral Festival “Gheorghe Cucu” in Slatina. In 2022 the choir performed on the Berlin Philharmonic stage along 14 other choirs.
The choir has won a Golden Diploma at the 16th edition of Chisinau Choir Competition in October 2023, First Prize diploma at the National Olympics during the zonal phase from Romania in 2024, and silver and golden Golden Diploma in Kalamata International Choir Competition & Festival, Greece.
Marian Cristinel Stroe is a professor and conductor, born on 9th of April 1977 in Braila, Romania. He graduated from the high school of arts “Hariclea H. Darclee” as a violinist and then moved onto become a violin teacher at the High school of Arts in Ramnicu Valcea (later becoming principal), after getting licensed by the Faculty of Music in Bucharest. In 2003 he established Cantus Children’s Choir. Furthermore he developed his knowledge by finishing a master’s in conducting at the University of Music in Bucharest and later on completing a master’s program on intercultural management at UNESCO, as well as getting licensed by the Faculty of Theology at the Ovidious University of Constanta. In 2024 he got his PHD in conducting at the Faculty of Music at George Enescu University of Arts, Iasi.
Since 2009 he is an official representative of Interkultur in Romania and Moldova. He has been a stage manager at the World Choir Games in Cincinnati (2012), Riga (2014) and Sochi (2016), as well as at the European Choir Games in 2015.
Marian Stroe is artistic director of the Choral Competition Arad and main conductor of Euphonia choir from Ion Dumitrescu Philarmonic. He has also been invited to many different national and international juries at choral competitions.
