12th (1999)

THE TWELFTH

The International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition, held on October 1–3, 1999, took on an even broader international scope. Choirs from Germany, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania took part in the competition. In total, 22 ensembles participated: 3 children’s choirs, 5 youth choirs, 6 equal-voice choirs, and 5 mixed choirs. A distinguished international jury was assembled: Prof. Veeno Laul (Estonia) – Chair, Prof. Jan Łukaszewski (Poland), Prof. Edgars Račevskis (Latvia), Prof. Vytautas Miškinis and Robertas Varnas (Lithuania), with Assoc. Prof. Kęstutis Kačinskas (Lithuania) serving as Secretary.

First prizes were awarded to: in the youth category – the youth mixed choir of the M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts from Vilnius (conductor Romualdas Gražinis); in the equal-voice category – the men’s choir Cantabile Limburg from Limburg, Germany (conductor J. Faßbender); and in the mixed choirs category – the mixed choir Fortius of the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy from Latvia (conductor M. Marnauza). Performances in the children’s choir category were awarded only second and third prizes.

In the second round, the GRAND AMBER Prize and the main award were won by the men’s choir Cantabile Limburg from Limburg, Germany, led by the outstanding conductor J. Faßbender.

Special prizes were awarded as follows: by Stasys Šimkus’s sons Algis and Neris (USA) – to the Klaipėda Vocal Ensemble (conductor Vladimiras Konstantinovas) for the best performance of Stasys Šimkus’s work Nakties tylumoj (“In the Stillness of the Night”); by the Stasys Šimkus Conservatory – to the youth mixed choir of the M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts (conductor Romualdas Gražinis) for the best performance of Stasys Šimkus’s song Šermukšnėlė; by the Klaipėda City Department of Culture – to the Šiauliai City Youth Choir Atžalynas (conductor Marija Žibūdienė) for the most valuable competition program; by the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre – to the youth choir Skali of Jelgava Gymnasium No. 2 (conductor G. Paškovska) for the best performance of a work by a composer from their own country; by the Lithuanian Association of Music Teachers – to the youth mixed choir of the M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts (conductor Romualdas Gražinis) as the best youth choir; and by the Klaipėda City Choral Association Aukuras – to the mixed choir Fortius of the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy (conductor M. Marnauza) for the best performance of a Renaissance composer’s work.

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