2026 Jury & 2026 WCC Jury: |
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Margrethe Ek (Norway) Margrethe Ek started conducting at the age of 14. Ek studied music for eight years, including master in singing, an education in music performance and presentation, and a diploma in conducting from the Norwegian Academy of Music. She has written a book of the health benefits of singing in a choir (Cantando 2012). An article of choir and health benefits are to be published in the bulletin of international federation of choral music (IFCM). Ek currently works as a teacher in music at two local high schools. She has previously worked at the University of Oslo within the subjects of song and conduction for 11 years. Being a conductor filled with energy and dynamic presentations, she has conducted several ensembles at high levels within several genres – both choirs and instrumental ensembles (symphony orchestras and wind ensembles). Ek’s different ensembles have often been seen on national TV and radio, and they have participated in choir contests at international levels with great results. Margrethe Ek has been acknowledged as both a lecturer and a visiting conductor for both businesses and musical ensembles in Norway. She is often invited to be a judge in both national and international choir contests. Today Margrethe Ek is the conductor of Moss Ensemble Consensus, founded in 2010. |
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Bernie Sherlock (Ireland) In 2023 in Arezzo, Italy, the choir won the Mixed Choir Competition and the Special Prize for programming and performance of contemporary music. Bernie has extensive experience directing a wide range of choirs, including the Culwick Choral Society and the Choral Society of Trinity College Dublin. For twelve years she directed and taught on the International Choral Conducting Summer School run by Sing Ireland. She is a founding Board-member of the World Choral Conducting Network, and a representative for Ireland on the World Choir Council. Bernie lectures at the TU Dublin Conservatoire where she directs the Masters programme in choral conducting and where she conducts the prize-winning TU Chamber Choir. After her music degree in Trinity College Dublin, Bernie studied conducting for two years in Hungary with Ildikó Herboly-Kocsár and Péter Erdei, followed by Masters and Doctorate degrees in conducting in Dublin |
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Rihards Dubra (Latvia) Was born in Riga. He studied music first in Jurmala School of Music, after that at the Emils Darzins College of Music. In 1989, he graduated from the Latvian Music Academy composition class under Adolfs Skulte (as an elective he learned symphonic conducting), and in 1996 earned his master’s degree at the Latvian Academy of Music under Juris Karlsons. During his studies, he began to teach harmony and composition at the Jurmala School of Music. Presently he is a professor Ventspils Music School. His other sphere of work is involved with the organ and liturgy. Rihards Dubra was the organist at the Riga Our Lady of Suffering Church, and, as of 1999, he is the cantor of the Riga St. Mary Magdalene Church. The basic genres of the composer’s creative work are large-scale genres for voices with accompaniment, choir music, organ music and symphonic music. Irrespectively of his genre choice, Dubra’s basic creative interests turn to sacred music. “As the belief is the only purity in this world, I cannot see anything better, only to write sacred music,” the composer comments on his creative activities. The composer’s activities at St. Mary Magdalene congregation in Riga and singing in the group Schola Cantorum Riga from its very beginning give inspiration for his creative work. The basis of Rihards Dubra music style is the unification of minimalism and neo-romantic tunes with the intonation, form and philosophy of Gregorian, Medieval and Renaissance music. “My music often is meditative; I like to stop a moment and to check it for some time. It is not possible in life, but music lets manage the impossible – light, longing and eternity speak to us feeling every moment…” Rihards Dubra’s music has been performed in several countries of the world: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, England, France, Austria, Italia, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Argentina, USA and others. |
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Ambrož Čopi (Slovenia) |
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Ko Matsushita (Japan) Composer and conductor born and raised in Tokyo, 1962. Matsushita is currently the conductor and artistic director of 13 choirs, which are often invited to perform in Japan, Europe, America, Canada, and Asia. They have also achieved excellent showings in the choral circuit and won awards in international competitions. He is an Artistic Director of Taipei Male Choir, Taiwan, and a conductor of KO CHORUS, Hong Kong. A prolific composer and arranger, Matsushita’s works are performed around the world. His compositions vary widely, ranging from works based on traditional Japanese music, Masses, motets, to etudes for choirs. His works are published in Japan by Edition KAWAI, Pana Musica, Ongaku no tomo sha Corp., Edition ICOT, and overseas by Carus-Verlag Stuttgart (Germany), SULASOL Helsinki (Finland), among others. Besides conducting and composing, he is also an active workshop clinician and lecturer both within and outside Japan. Especially, he has been adjudicating at many international choral competitions and composition competitions around the world. In 2005, he was awarded the“Robert Edler Prize for Choral Music” in recognition of his outstanding achievements worldwide in conducting, composing, performance, and education within the field of choral music. His choir The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo and he was invited to the National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA as a guest choir and a panelist for Composer’s speak out, moreover as a lecturer for a reading session in February 2015. Also, he was invited to Bach Academy Stuttgart as a lecturer for the workshop about his works in March 2016, at the same time his new work “De profundis clamavi” was performed by KammerChor Saarbrückn as a world premiere in Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart. |
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Piotr Jańczak (Poland) He is conductor, composer, pianist. He graduated from Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, Faculty of Conducting and Music Education, where he attended to Professor Janusz Stanecki’s conducting class. Piotr Jańczak is the founder and the conductor of the “Canto” Interschool Choir, the Men’s Choir and the “Canto” Chamber Choir. All of them have been functioning in the Community Centre in Wyrzysk. These groups have won over 60 international and national choir contests. Many musical compositions of Piotr Jańczak are admired all over the world and they even have been played as compulsory during many prestigious international choir contests. These contests took place in: Venice, Rome, Bonn, Riva del Garda, Neuchatel and Helsingborg. In 2009 Piotr Jańczak took the doctor’s degree in musical art and artistic conducting. Currently, he is an academic worker at the Music Academy in Bydgoszcz. He also works for the Community Centre in Wyrzysk. In 2016 he received degree of doctor habilitatus. Composer “Missa Film Stetinum” for symphony orchestra, male choir and solo TI, TII, Baritone, Bass. The premiere took place on 31 January 2016 at the Szczecin Philharmonic. Juror of international and national choral competitions |
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Andrea Angelini (Italy) He began his piano studies as a child, at the Rimini Lettimi School. He later earned a Doctorate of Music at Ferrara’s Frescobaldi Conservatory. After earning a Master in Choral Conducting he studied music therapy with Professor Cremaschi of Milan University. His interests led him to the choral field, and he earned a Bachelor studying at the International Art Academy in Rome with Fulvio Angius. He also studied organ at Pesaro’s Conservatory of Music. Finally he got his PHD in Choral Music at the Cesena Conservatoire of Music. He is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the professional group Musica Ficta Vocal Ensemble that frequently performs in important Festivals in Italy and abroad. For many years, Andrea Angelini has conducted concerts with the choir Carla Amori, in Italy and abroad. In 1996 he was named Director of the Rimini Community Choir, Alessandro Grandi. |
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