18th (2011)

THE EIGHTEENTH

The International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition took place at the Klaipėda Concert Hall on November 25–27, 2011, and was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of the musician, composer, and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. A total of 15 collectives applied to participate: 2 children’s choirs, 2 youth choirs, 2 women’s choirs, 1 men’s choir, and 7 mixed choirs from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. 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”.

Distinguished choral music specialists were invited to serve on the jury, including Gábor Hollerung (Hungary), Artistic Director of the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM), who chaired the jury.

The jury consisted of six members: Gábor Hollerung (Hungary) – Chair, Prof. Vytautas Miškinis (Lithuania), Ene Üleoja (Estonia), Aira Birziņa (Latvia), Assoc. Prof. Zita Kariniauskienė (Lithuania), and Aurelija Žvinklytė (Lithuania) – Secretary.

Laureate titles were awarded as follows: in the mixed choirs category, First Prize was awarded to the mixed choir “Swedbank” (conductor A. Ancāns, Riga, Latvia); in the equal-voice category, First Prize went to the women’s choir “Ausma” of the Riga Latvian Society (conductor Jānis Zirnis, Latvia); in the youth choirs category, First Prize was awarded to the boys’ and youth choir of Tallinn Secondary School No. 21 (conductor Lydia Rahula, Estonia); in the children’s choirs category, First Prize went to the Tallinn Boys’ Choir (conductor Lydia Rahula, Estonia). These collectives were awarded First Degree Diplomas and cash prizes of €300.

The GRAND AMBER Prize and a cash award of €1,500 were presented to the mixed choir “Juventus” of the University of Latvia (conductor Jānis Petrovskis, Riga, Latvia). The MINOR AMBER Prize and a cash award of €1,000 were not awarded by decision of the jury.

Special prizes were awarded as follows: the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre Prize for the best performance of a work by a composer from one’s own country – to the mixed choir “Swedbank” (conductor A. Ancāns, Riga, Latvia); the Klaipėda City Municipality Prize for the most valuable competition programme – to the mixed choir “Juventus” of the University of Latvia (conductor Jānis Petrovskis, Riga, Latvia); the Klaipėda City Choral Association “Aukuras” Prize for the best performance of M. K. Čiurlionis’s Kyrie – to the mixed choir “Swedbank” (conductor A. Ancāns, Riga, Latvia); the Lithuanian Choral Union Prize for the most valuable competition programme – to the mixed choir “Juventus” of the University of Latvia (conductor Jānis Petrovskis, Riga, Latvia); and the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatory Prize for the most convincing performance of a contemporary work – to the Kaunas mixed choir “Kamertonas” (conductor Kęstutis Jakeliūnas, Lithuania).

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