1st International Choral Composition Competition of Preveza

Ambrož Čopi (born 1973) studied composition under the tutelage of Dane Škerl and Uroš Rojko, and piano, at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He is recognized as a composer, conductor, lecturer, and the artistic director of the International Youth Choirs Choral Festival Aegis Carminis in Koper. Presently, he is a leader of choral activities at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana (KGBL) and teaches at the Artistic High School in Koper. From the inception of his teaching career, he has fostered his students' creativity in choral music, emerging as a mentor to Slovenia's youngest generation of composers. Through his leadership, new compositions have been inspired and performed worldwide. His original compositions, recorded on five CDs, regularly grace stages worldwide. His works are published predominantly by Astrum Music Publisher, with select works featured by Sulasol, TICF and Hinshaw Music. Čopi has guided numerous Slovenian choirs to remarkable achievements in both national (15 gold plaques) and international competitions (29 first places). He has been awarded many times for outstanding performances and as best conductor. Presently, he conducts the KGBL Chamber Choir and the University of Primorska Academic Choir, both esteemed among Slovenia's premier choral ensembles. In 2014, he was honored with the Gallus Plaque, Slovenia's highest recognition in the realm of musical endeavor, alongside the prestigious national award, the Prešeren Fund Prize, Marjan Kozina Prize and Republic of Slovenia Prize for Education. He is regularly invited to act as a jury member at choral competitions worldwide; he also actively engages in choral music seminars and masterclasses for conductors and composers alike, offering his expertise as a lecturer.

Vytautas Miškinis (1954) is the Artistic Director of the Azuoliukas Boys’ and Men’s Choir, as well as the Professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He is also the President of the Lithuanian Choral Union past 20 years. He graduated as Choral Conductor from the Lithuanian Academy of Music in 1976. He began his career in Azuoliukas at the age of seven as a vocalist, and continued as Artistic Director from the age of 25. Vytautas Miškinis conducted the Kaunas State Choir and Vocal Ensemble of the Museum Musicum. Prof. Miškinis is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the all Lithuanian Choir Festival. He has led the choral performances of this choir in some 25 different countries. He has conducted a great number of compositions for choir with symphonic orchestras. He also lectured and held seminars on the subject of ‘musical education and conducting’ in numerous countries all over the world. He has participated in numerous national and international choral events as composer and advisor. He also has conducted workshops in several Europa Cantat Festivals, World Choral Symposiums, World Choir Games. He is a member of World Choir Council. Prof. Miškinis worked as a member of numerous adjudicating panels in international Choir and Choral Composition competitions all over the world ( over 200 events ), amongst which one must mention the World Choir Games 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016. He has led workshops in China, Singapore, Philippines, Italy, Spain, Russia, South Africa, USA, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Malta, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Yakutia, Japan, Czech, Netherlands, Poland, UK, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, France, Costa Rica etc. Prof. Miškinis has composed approximately 400 religious motets a cappella, 18 Masses, Magnificat, St. John Passion, 4 Cantatas, 2 Musicals with orchestras and about 400 secular songs, which are performed and recorded by choirs throughout Lithuania and the rest of the World. A great number of his compositions have been published not only in Lithuania but also in France, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Latvia, Russia and USA. He is awarded by many Governmental and National prizes.

Javier Busto (b. 1949) was born in Hondarribia (Gipuzkoa – Basque Country). He has been a choir singer since childhood. In his youth he was a member of various rock and folk music groups. He graduated in Medicine from the Valladolid University, practicing his profession nowadays. He works as family doctor in Lezo (Gipuzkoa). Busto was initiated into choral conducting by Maestro Erwin List. During his university period, he became conductor of Ederki Basque students’ choir in Valladolid (1971-1976), starting to write his first choral songs, which won third prize in the Tolosa (1975) competition. Busto is Founder-Conductor of Eskifaia Choir in Hondarribia (1978-1994), winning first prizes in Ejea de los Caballeros, Tolosa, Avilés, Tours (France), Gorizia (Italy), Spittal an der Drau (Austria), Mainhausen and Marktoberdorf (Germany). He is also Founder-Conductor of Kanta Cantemus Korua (1995), in Gipuzkoa, which has received first prizes in Tours, France 1997 – 2007 and Tolosa 1999. His works have received composition prizes in Bilbao, Igualada, Madrid and Tolosa. His scores are being published in Basque Country (bustovega), France (A Coeur Joie), Great Britain (Oxford University Press), Germany (Carus Verlag and Ferrimontana), Sweden (Gehrmans Musikförlag) and the USA (Walton, Alliance Music Publishing, and Santa Barbara). Javier Busto is nowadays in demand throughout the world as a guest conductor and as a member of the jury in choral and composition contests. He has been requested in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the USA and Venezuela. He is also a member of the technical committee of the Tolosa choral contest.

Composer and conductor born and raised in Tokyo in 1962. Matsushita currently serves as conductor and artistic director of 13 choirs, which are regularly invited to perform in Japan, Europe, America, Canada, and across Asia. His ensembles have achieved outstanding results in the international choral scene, winning numerous awards in prestigious competitions. Matsushita is a prolific composer whose works are performed worldwide. His compositions span a wide spectrum, from works inspired by traditional Japanese music, masses and motets, to educational repertoire for choirs. His works are published in Japan by KAWAI, Pana Musica, Ongaku no tomo sha Corp., Edition ICOT, and internationally by Carus-Verlag Stuttgart (Germany), SULASOL Helsinki (Finland), among others. In addition to conducting and composing, he is highly active as a workshop leader and lecturer both within Japan and internationally. He has received numerous distinctions in international choral and composition competitions. In 2005, he was awarded the “Robert Edler Prize for Choral Music” for his outstanding global contribution to conducting, composition, performance, and education in choral music. The Tokyo Metropolitan Choir and Matsushita himself were invited as guest choir and panel participant (“Composers Speak Out”) at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, where he also presented a reading session lecture in February 2015. He was invited to Stuttgart, Germany, in March 2016 to lead a workshop dedicated to his works, during which his composition “De profundis clamavi” received its world premiere performed by KammerChor Saarbrücken at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. He served on the artistic committee of the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona in 2017, where his work “Salva me” was also premiered by KammerChor Saarbrücken. In Taipei, Taiwan, his work “Te Deum” for four male choirs, organ, string quartet, and percussion received its world premiere in 2017. In 2019, he delivered the keynote address at the International Kodály Symposium (Kuching, Malaysia). He currently serves as CEO of the Tokyo International Choral Organization, Artistic Director of the Karuizawa International Choral Festival and the Tokyo International Choir Competition, Founding Director of the Asian Choral Association, Honorary Member of the Italian Choral Directors Association, member of the World Council of the Interkultur World Choir Games, Vice-President of the Tokyo Choral Association, member of the Youth Choir Committee of the Japan Choral Association, member of the Japan Association of Composers and Arrangers, and Special Professor at Kobe College.