19 (2013)

THE NINETEENTH

The International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition took place at the Klaipėda Concert Hall on November 22–24, 2013. A total of 10 collectives applied to participate: 1 children’s choir, 1 youth choir, 2 women’s choirs, and 6 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 Prof. Dr. Ralf Eisenbeiß (Germany), one of the founders and Artistic Director of INTERKULTUR – the World Choir Games, as well as founder and Artistic Director of the International Robert Schumann Choir Competition in Zwickau, who chaired the jury.

The jury consisted of six members: Ralf Eisenbeiß (Germany) – Chair, Prof. Vytautas Miškinis (Lithuania), Dr. Andrea Angelini (Italy), Aira Birziņa (Latvia), Tomas Ambrozaitis (Lithuania), and M. Dragašiūtė (Lithuania) – Secretary.

Laureate titles were awarded as follows: in the mixed choirs category, First Prize was awarded to the mixed choir “Bel Canto” of the Vilnius Teachers’ House (conductor Artūras Dambrauskas, Lithuania); in the equal-voice category, no First Prize was awarded; in the youth choirs category, no First Prize was awarded; and in the children’s choirs category, no First Prize was awarded.

The GRAND AMBER Prize and a cash award of €1,500 were won by the Liepāja Mixed Choir “Laiks” (conductor Ilze Balode, 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 Liepāja Mixed Choir “Laiks” (conductor Ilze Balode, Latvia); the Klaipėda City Municipality Prize for the best performance of a contemporary composer’s work – to the mixed choir “Bel Canto” of the Vilnius Teachers’ House (conductor Artūras Dambrauskas, Lithuania); the Klaipėda City Choral Association “Aukuras” Prize for the best performance of Vaclovas Augustinas’s work Jerusalem, surge – to the mixed choir “Bel Canto” of the Vilnius Teachers’ House (conductor Artūras Dambrauskas, Lithuania); and the Lithuanian Choral Union Prize for the most valuable competition programme – to the youth mixed choir “Intis” of the Liepāja National Art and Culture Centre (conductor Ilze Valce, Latvia).

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