16th (2007)

THE SIXTEENTH

The International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition took place at the Concert Hall of the Faculty of Arts of Klaipėda University on October 18–21, 2007. A total of 24 ensembles applied to participate: 2 children’s choirs, 6 youth choirs, 3 women’s choirs, 1 men’s choir, 10 mixed choirs, and 2 vocal ensembles from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ghana, Ukraine, Estonia, Hungary, and Denmark. The Artistic Director and Executive Director of the competition was Assoc. Prof. Algirdas Šumskis, Chair of the Council of the Klaipėda City Choral Association Aukuras.

It is regrettable that, for various reasons, as many as four choirs did not arrive at the competition. Distinguished choral music specialists were invited to serve on the jury, including Jean-Claude Wilkens (Belgium), Secretary General of the International Federation for Choral Music, who served as Chair of the jury.

The jury consisted of six members: Jean Claude Wilkens (Belgium) – Chair; Prof. Vytautas Miškinis (Lithuania); Hirvo Surva (Estonia); Māris Sirmais (Latvia); Assoc. Prof. Robertas Varnas (Lithuania); and Aurelija Žvinklytė (Lithuania) – Secretary.

Laureate titles were awarded as follows:

  • in the mixed choirs category – the Latvian Academy of Culture Youth Mixed Choir Sola (conductor Kaspars Adamsons, Latvia);
  • in the equal-voice choirs category – the girls’ group of the Latvian Academy of Culture Youth Mixed Choir Sola (conductor Kaspars Adamsons, Latvia);
  • in the school choirs category – the Vecumnieki Girls’ Choir Via Stella (conductors L. Batna and Č. Batna, Latvia);
  • in the children’s choirs category – no first prize was awarded;
  • in the vocal ensembles category – the Ogre Girls’ Vocal Ensemble Anima Solla (conductor Marite Pūrina, Latvia).

These ensembles were awarded First Degree Diplomas and cash prizes of €300.

The GRAND AMBER Prize and a €1,000 award were presented to the Ogre Girls’ Vocal Ensemble Anima Solla (conductor Marite Pūrina, Latvia). The MINOR AMBER Prize and a €700 award were won by the Vecumnieki Girls’ Choir Via Stella (conductors L. Batna and Č. Batna, Latvia).

Special prizes were awarded as follows:

  • the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre Prize for the best performance of works by composers from one’s own country – to the Ogre Girls’ Vocal Ensemble Anima Solla (conductor Marite Pūrina, Latvia);
  • the Lithuanian Association of Music Teachers Prize for a successful debut at the 16th International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition – to the choir Saulainė of the Kretinga School of Arts (conductors Violeta Andriuškevičienė and Eugenija Karkienė, Lithuania);
  • the Klaipėda City Municipality Department of Education Prize for the most valuable competition program in the children’s choir category – to the girls’ choir of the Vilnius Choral Singing School Liepaitės (conductor Jolita Vaitkevičienė, Lithuania);
  • the Klaipėda City Choral Association Aukuras Prize for the best performance of Jeronimas Kačinskas’s work Terra tremuit – to the Latvian Academy of Culture Youth Mixed Choir Sola (conductor Kaspars Adamsons, Latvia);
  • the Lithuanian Choral Union Prize for the most valuable competition program in Categories A, B, and E – to the Ogre Girls’ Vocal Ensemble Anima Solla (conductor Marite Pūrina, Latvia).

The Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatory Prize for the best performance of works by Stasys Šimkus was not awarded.

Additional prizes were awarded as follows:

  • the Lithuanian Choral Union Prize for an original performance of Veljo Tormis’s song Meremehe laul (“The Sailor’s Song”) – to the Tallinn University Men’s Choir (conductors J. Rent and Indrek Vijard, Estonia);
  • the Lithuanian Choral Union Prize for the performance of the work Lašaris graze by Georgian composer J. Kecakmadze – to the Latvian Academy of Culture Youth Mixed Choir Sola (conductor Kaspars Adamsons, Latvia);
  • the Lithuanian Choral Union Prize for the artistic interpretation of Vytautas Miškinis’s work Ta, kurios ilgiesi tu – to the Molėtai Mixed Vocal Ensemble A Cappella (conductor Violeta Zutkuvienė, Lithuania).

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