Choral Crossroads 2011

THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN CHORAL FAIR

A four-days project that brought together 10 youth choirs from Cyprus, Estonia, Egypt, Greece, Serbia, Jordan, Lebanon and Hungary. The project combined specific educational and artistic activities: workshops, lectures, concerts and public games, with participation of experts and cultural workers from the both shores of the Mediterranean sea.

The project was part of a wider “Euro-Mediterranean Youth Music Dialogues” (2011-2012) project, that aims to stimulate the dialogue and mutual understanding among cultural workers and artists from the two sides of Mediterranean by bringing them together, improving perceptions between them to reduce the existing gaps and prejudices.

The Euro-Mediterranean Youth Music Dialogues are implemented by Cultural Movement EPILOGI of Limassol (Cyprus) and King Hussein Foundation – National Music Conservatory of Amman (Jordan) with support from Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI), the largest NGO network for youth and music and Arab Academy of Music, an arm of the League of Arab States for Music Education affairs.

EPILOGI Children’s Choir (Cyprus)
Conductor: Angelina Nicolaidou-Spanou

The Children’s Choir was founded in 1996, as the first of the four choral groups of EPILOGI Cultural Movement of Limassol. Currently the choir has about 60 members between the ages of 8-15 and has participated and performed in numerous local and international choir festivals and other events.

Amman Arab Singing Ensemble (Jordan)
Conductor: Sakher Hattar

The Arab Singing Ensemble was initiated in 2007 with the inauguration of the Amman Arab Music Ensemble, whose performances and innovative serious experiments in Arab music and singing had been enthusiastically welcomed by local, Arab and international audiences.

Youth Choir of Tallinn Music High School (Estonia)
Conductor: Ingrid Kõrvits

Youth Choir of Tallinn Music High School has originated from a Children`s Choir of the school, that has existed since the founding of the school in 1961. The singers in the choir are in ages 14-20.

Fayha Choir (Lebanon)
Conductor: Barkev Taslakian

The Fayha Choir established 2003, and conducted ever since by Maestro Barkev Taslakian, is sponsored by Safadi Foundation and Azm & Saada association. The choir is mixed, composed of nearly 40 members, from Tripoli and suburbs citizens, who represent the Lebanese population with all its religions, social, political, economical affiliations, aged from 15 to 50 years old.

Academic Choir Collegium Musicum (Serbia)
Conductor: Prof. Darinka Matic – Marovic

The Academic Female Choir Collegium Musicum has been around for four decades. It was established in 1971 by Professor Vojislav Ilic. Its members are students of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade with Darinka Matić Marović as the director since its conception.

Polyphonic Choir of Patras – Youth Choir (Greece)
Conductor: Helen Papadopoulou-Aravanitou

The choir was founded in September 2010, to cater for the youngest members after their graduation from the Children’s Choir. It consists of girls aged 18-26 chorists with experience and great vocal skills.

Cairo Conservatoire Choir (Egypt)
Conductor: Dr. Mona Hafez

The Cairo Conservatoire youth Choir gave many concerts with the Cairo Conservatoire Orchestra- since its foundation in the 70s – at Sayed Darwish Theatre, Cairo Opera House and The Egyptian Universities.

Pécs Béla Bartók Girls’ Choir (Hungary)
Conductor: Attila Kertész

Pécs Béla Bartók Girls’ Choir was founded in 1973 with the aim to promote 20th century Hungarian choral music and within that the high quality interpretation and performance of Bartók and Kodály’s choral works written for female choirs. The choir has been based at Zoltán Kodály Grammar School since 1975 with the members studying in the school.

The Choir of the Holy Spirit University (Lebanon)
Conductor: Rev. Youssef Tannous, Ph.D.

At its foundation in 1950, the choir was mainly formed by young scholastics of the Lebanese Maronite Order. In November 1970, a mixed chorus was formed by Rev. Fr. Louis Hage, comprising four mixed voices: Soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Since then, the Choir gained a big national and international renown.

EPILOGI Youth Choir (Cyprus)
Conductor: Angelina Nicolaidou – Spanou

EPILOGI Youth Choir was founded in 2007. It consists of 60 young people between the ages of 14-20. Since it foundation the Choir has taken part in various events, festivals, concerts both in Cyprus and abroad, and was awarded at international choral competitions in St. Petersburg in 2009 and Bratislava in 2010.