62nd
Festival of International Choral Art
November 6 - 10, 2019
International Choir Competition
- Time and place: November 8 – 9, 2019, Congress Hall of the Gustav Mahler Hotel, Křížova St. 4, Jihlava. Competition of children’s and secondary-school choirs and vocal ensembles will take place Friday, November 8, 2018; adult choirs on Saturday, November 9, 2019.
- The competition is only open to amateur choirs, both from the CR and abroad. The choirmaster can be a professional. The competition is open to the public.
- Chamber choirs of up to 24 members; large choirs of 25 to 60 members; children’s choirs of up to 60 members; vocal ensembles of up to 8 members. Instrumentalists will not be counted in the number of singers.
- Choirs may compete in multiple categories.
- The age limit for children’s choirs is 16 years – all children born from 2003 up may take part in the competition. The upper age limit for secondary-school choirs is 19 years – children born from 2000 up may participate. For verification of the age limit, each choir has to submit a list of the individual singing choir members and their age to the director of the Festival.
- In the case of a low number of applicants, the competition’s organizer reserves the right not to open a certain category. In the case of a high number of applicants, the organizer may decide not to register certain choirs (the criteria: deadline of application submission, assessment of the given choir’s quality by the Festival’s collegiate).
- The time limit for the competitors’ performance includes the choir’s arrival and departure to/from the stage. Applause between individual songs will not be allowed. In cases of exceeded time limit, the jury will terminate the choir’s performance. The beginning of each choir’s performance will be determined in advance – the choirs have the opportunity of a short acoustic rehearsal on the stage. A room for vocal practicing will be available. The exact schedule for acoustic rehearsals and vocal practicing will be announced in advance. There is a piano on the stage.
- The international coir competition will be judged by a five-member jury, the composition of which will be announced in advance on the Festival’s website.
- Evaluation and prizes. Based on the professional jury’s evaluation, all choirs will be classified into individual segments of the Festival’s program, as follows:
00,00 – 14,99 honorable mention
15,00 – 19,99 bronze band
20,00 – 24,99 silver band
25,00 – 30,00 golden band
The professional jury may also award other prizes (e.g., for best presentation of a composition, best performance dramaturgy, etc.).
The adult choirs in the golden band and the highest number of points will win financial awards: category 1 A 25,000 CZK
category 1 B 20,000 CZK
category 2 A 10,000 CZK
category 2 B 8,000 CZK
- Competitive categories:
ADULT CHOIRS
1 A - Large choirs with a compulsory composition (male, female, mixed)
1 B - Chamber choirs a compulsory composition (male, female, mixed)
The categories reserved for mature choirs with a sophisticated program and a compulsory composition a cappella, hitherto not presented to the public. The choirs have procure this composition from one of their composers or select it from hitherto unpresented compositions of the FSU Jihlava composition contest (available upon request from the Festival’s organizer). The choirs have to issue a declaration confirming that the composition has not been presented to the public. The performances will be complemented with a liberal selection of compositions a cappella, or accompanied by a piano or another instrument up to a total limit of 20 minutes. Particularly recommended are above all compositions of composers of the 20 th and 21 st century. In addition to the compulsory new composition, there must also be at least two additional compositions a cappella. The sequence of the compositions is liberal.
2 A – Large choirs (male, female, mixed)
2 B – Chamber choirs (male, female, mixed)
Subcategory: Free program (program of liberal compositions)
Folk songs (the program has to consist exclusively of choir adaptations of folk songs. One of the songs must be from the collection of “Horácké písně”, issued by FSU in Jihlava (will be sent via e-mail upon request).
Spiritual music (the program has to consist exclusively of spiritual compositions, recommended are especially compositions of the 20 th and 21 st century)
Popular music (the program has to consist exclusively of compositions – or their choir adaptations - of popular music, musicals, beat box, jazz, etc.)
The categories are reserved for choirs with an a cappella program, or accompaniment by a piano or another instrument up to a total limit of 15 minutes. Depending on their program, the choirs (both large and chamber) will be allocated to subcategories. Recommended are above all compositions of composers of the 20 th and 21 st century. The sequence of the compositions is liberal.
SECONDARY-SCHOOL CHOIRS
3 A – Large secondary-school choirs with a compulsory composition (male, female, mixed)
3 B – Chamber secondary-school choirs with a compulsory composition (male, female, mixed)
The categories reserved for mature choirs with a sophisticated program and a compulsory composition a cappella, hitherto not presented to the public. The choirs have to procure this composition from one of their composers or select it from hitherto unpresented compositions of the FSU Jihlava composition contest (available upon request from the Festival’s organizer). The choirs have to issue a declaration confirming that the composition has not been presented to the public. The performances will be complemented with a liberal selection of compositions a cappella, or accompanied by a piano or another instrument up to a total limit of 20 minutes. Particularly recommended are above all compositions of composers of the 20 th and 21 st century. In addition to the compulsory new composition, there must also be at least two additional compositions a cappella. The sequence of the compositions is liberal.
4 A - Large secondary-school choirs (male, female, mixed)
4 B – Chamber secondary-school choirs (male, female, mixed)
Subcategory: Free program (program of liberal compositions)
Folk songs (the program has to consist exclusively of choir adaptations of folk songs. One of the songs must be from the collection of “Horácké písně”, issued by FSU in Jihlava (will be sent via e-mail upon request).
Spiritual music (the program has to consist exclusively of spiritual compositions, recommended are especially compositions of the 20 th and 21 st century)
Popular music (the program has to consist exclusively of compositions – or their choir adaptations - of popular music, musicals, beat box, jazz, etc.)
The categories are reserved for choirs with an a cappella program, or accompaniment by a piano or another instrument up to a total limit of 15 minutes. Depending on their program, the choirs (both large and chamber) will be allocated to subcategories. Recommended are above all compositions of composers of the 20 th and 21 st century. The sequence of the compositions is liberal.
CHILDREN’S CHOIRS
5. – Children’s choirs with a liberal program
The category is reserved tot children’s choirs with a liberal a cappella program, or accompanied by a piano or another instrument up to a total limit of 15 minutes. Recommended are above all compositions of composers of the 20 th and 21 st century. The sequence of the compositions is liberal.
VOCAL ENSEMBLES
6. – Vocal ensembles with a liberal program
The category is reserved for vocal ensembles with an a cappella liberal program, or accompanied by a piano or another instrument up to a total limit of 15 minutes. Recommended are above all compositions of composers of the 20 th and 21 st century. The sequence of the compositions is liberal.
- Applications to the competition are to be made on the Festival’s website: www.fsujihlava.com no later than by 30. 5. 2019. The same deadline applies to payment of the registration fee by a bank-to-bank transaction.
- Registration fee for the first category:
Large adult choirs 5,000 CZK
Adult chamber choirs 4,000 CZK
Large secondary-school choirs 3,000 CZK
Chamber secondary-school choirs 2,500 CZK
Children’s choirs 2,000 CZK
Vocal ensembles 2,000 CZK
Registration fees for the 2 nd and 3 rd category amount to 50 % of the first category fee.
Account number for domestic payments: 174202016/0300, specify choir name in the note column
Foreign transactions: IBAN: CZ5303000000000174202016, BIC: CEKOCZPP
- Applicants are required send in their complete competitive program by 30. 9. 2019 via e-mail (names & surnames of composers, names of compositions, duration), choir characteristics, choir photograph in printed quality, music score of the compositions in pdf. format.
- The results of the competition will be announced as part of the evening Festival concert. The choirs, dressed in their competition outfits, will take reserved seats in the audience. The best choirs will be invited to make a brief performance that need not be identical with their competition program. The length and the repertoire itself will be agreed on with the organizer. Before the evening concert, there will be an analytical seminar with the jury, where the choirmasters will have the opportunity to get feedback on their performance.
- The organizer does not provide accommodation or meals. However, participating choirs will receive a contribution to their transportation expenses, the amount of which will depend on the number of applicants. The contribution will only be provided to transportation within the Czech Republic. If interested, choirs may ask the organizer for assistance in the form of information on accommodation and meal options, as well as other services related to their stay in Jihlava.
