5th Choral Conducting Workshop & Seminar

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. 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 served on the International Jury of the 24th and 25th International Choir Competitions of Preveza. 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.