5th Choral Conducting Workshop and Seminar
The International Choral Festival of Preveza invites conductors to apply to the 5th Choral Conducting Seminar and Masterclass, which will be realized from 4th to 6th July 2022 in Preveza, Greece.
This year's 40th International Choir Festival Preveza brings two novelties in addition to the concerts of the choir competition and the seminar for choir conductors. The competition for composers has recently ended, and this year the organizer is offering an exceptional opportunity also for young conductors with an International Choral Conducting Competition of Preveza. During the 4th-6th July 2022, participants of the Choral Conducting Masterclass will be able to follow the competition and gain new, important experience for working with the choir. Through discussions with jury members they will be able to upgrade their knowledge and broaden their horizons. Another novelty is the division of the Seminar into two groups. Those who want to upgrade their experience and learn about new literature and those who would like to gain the basics of conducting knowledge and test themselves with easier literature.
Participants will have the opportunity to work with top Greek Choirs and established conductors such as Gary Graden (Sweden), Theodora Pavlovitch (Bulgaria), Vytautas Miškinis (Lithuania), Javier Busto (Spain), Ambrož Čopi (Slovenia), Sofia Gioldasi (Greece), Katerina Vassilikou (Greece) and Anelia Stefanova (Greece). At the same time, participants will have the opportunity to meet many young conductors from all over the world, share experiences, make contacts and friendships with them.
The Conducting Seminar is suitable for early career conductors, conducting students with University/Conservatory training in music.
The Conducting Masterclass is suitable for advanced conducting students with University/Conservatory training in music and experienced conductors seeking to work with a high-level ensemble.
Members of Voci Contra Tempo are classically trained singers who are passionate about choral music. The core of the ensemble consists of 16 members, but varies in size according to the needs of each individual project. Even though the ensemble has been active for a short time, it has already made an impact in the Greek and international choral music scene. Voci Contra Tempo has collaborated with Thessaloniki’s State Symphony Orchestra, among others, presenting some of the main works for female choir, such as The Planets by Gustav Holst and Les Sirènes from Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes. They have performed at important venues such as the Thessaloniki Megaron Concert Hall and the historical Parnassus Athens Hall. In August 2021 the ensemble made its international debut after having been invited to participate in some of the most prestigious choral festivals in Europe: the “Guido d’Arezzo International Choral Festival” and the “Incontro Internazionale Polifonico ‘Città di Fano’”. The choir has been directed by Sofia Gioldasi.
Sofia Gioldasi has studied Choral Conducting at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Jos Vermunt, Jos van Veldhoven, Basilio Astulez and Andrew Nethsingha, specializing in the combination of choral singing, body movement and stage action. For the last 10 years she has been working with different kinds of choirs: children’s choirs, female and mixed choirs, amateur and professional singers of all levels, with great success. During her time as conductor of the Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor, the choir had the honour to perform at the inauguration of the Dutch King Willem-Alexander, record for Deutsche Grammophon, and also win Silver prize at the Cantemus competition in Hungary. In 2015 Sofia moved back to her home country, Greece. She is the conductor and artistic leader of the Voci Contra Tempo - Female Vocal Ensemble. Even though the ensemble has been active for a short time, Voci Contra Tempo has already made an impact in the Greek and international choral music scene. In August 2021, the ensemble was invited to participate in some of the most prestigious choral festivals in Europe: the “Guido d’Arezzo International Choral Festival” and the “Incontro Internazionale Polifonico ‘Città di Fano”. Sofia has been a jury member in International Choral Competitions and she is frequently asked to lead masterclasses and workshops in Greece, Turkey, Italy and in the Netherlands [Europa Cantat, Festival di Primavera, Movincanto, International Choral Festival of Preveza, etc]. Among her future plans is her first collaboration with the Greek National Opera (April 2022) and her participation at the Leading Voices Festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands (July 2022).
Ambitus Choir
was formed in 2002 and is a founding
member of the Hellenic Choirs Association. It is composed of
Lycée Léonin N.Smirni alumni and lovers of choral music. It
has participated and excelled in national and international
competitions as a mixed or equal-voice ensemble, earning gold
medals, Grand Prix, and special awards. Its repertory is
comprised of a wide range of Western and Greek music, early
throughout to contemporary. Ambitus has collaborated with
prominent Greek orchestras and conductors. It has participated
in studio recordings of contemporary works of Greek composers,
while it has been the practice choir for the maestro seminar
of the famous Greek conductor Miltos Logiadis. Ambitus has
presented the first performances of selected songs of the
Greek Choir Composers Competition that has been organized by
the “Hellenic Choir Association”. The Choir was awarded with
Gold Diploma on First Prizes at several domestic and
international competitions (2nd International Festival of
Florence (Italy, 2013), 56th International Competition
“Habaneras y Polifonía”, Torrevieja, (Spain, 2010), 2nd
International Competition “Musica Sacra a Roma”, (Italy,
2010), 2nd Kalamata International Choir Competition, (Greece,
2017), 3rd International Choir Competition, Nafplio, Greece,
(2016), 22nd International Sacred Choral Music Competition,
Preveza, (Greece, 2016)). The choir has been directed by
Katerina Vassilikou
.
Katerina Vassilikou , the “Ambitus” Choir’s founder and conductor, was born in Athens, Greece, and is an alumna of the University of Athens. She studied piano and classical singing, attended choir conducting and piano seminars, and completed courses in the Carl Orff System, as well as in Music and Dance Education. In 2016 she prepared and conducted the 1st Children’s Olympic Choir of Greece for the Official Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony of Summer Olympic Games. During 2018 and 2019 she presided over the 24th International Choir Competition of Preveza as a member of the International Panel. She is the conductor of children’s, women’s and mixed voices choirs and has collaborated on multiple occasions with famous Greek conductors such as Loukas Karitinos, Miltos Logiadis, Andreas Pilarinos, Ilias Voudouris and Vironas Fidetzis.