The education system has been designed for active Chinese choral conductors and educators. Internationally renowned choral conductors and professors will provide Chinese conductors with the possibility of raising their standard of conducting and their knowledge about international choral music and established choral pedagogy.

The education will be arranged on a regular basis and in collaboration with Chinese organizations and institutions and will lead to certificates and diplomas on different levels. The education is structured in a way that enables a participant to enter the education system at different levels depending on university education. Thus both more advanced and less experienced conductors will find their entry and proceeds.

International lecturers and experts to serve Choral Life in China

Thoroughly selected leading experts in the field of choral music will serve as professors and lecturers and will be responsible for the education. For more than twenty years, INTERKULTUR has arranged festivals, competitions, courses and seminars all over the world. The expertise, involved in these events as jurors and lecturers, will now be used to raise the education level of Chinese choral conductors.

The studies are mainly based on international repertoire and contain diverse aspects of choral singing. Finishing each course, the participants should have developed at various levels. For the postgraduate level, the same skills and knowledge as for the elementary level will have been developed, but at a higher level. The instructional topics will be divided into different study levels, in the end leading to thematic Diplomas.

Introduction to international choral music
(epoques, history, style)

These studies are meant to give a survey on international choral traditions and an overview on important choral music from different époques and of the different stylistic elements that are relevant. At least 50 scores per study period (stage) will be presented, some of them only for orientation, some of them for detailed study and interpretation through singing, listening and conducting.

Choir methods

This course will present:

• knowledge about the conductor’s different roles in the choir, both in musical and social context
• knowledge about the singer’s different roles, expectations and needs – both in musical and social context
• rehearsal pedagogy and methodology
• how to train the choir vocal techniques
• intonation
• how to find a good sound quality in the choir
• how to relate to text and phrasing

Conducting techniques

Elementary level
This course is meant for amateur conductors who want to get an introduction into the basics of choral conducting. The course will contain some individual training, but will mainly consist of group education. At the third stage (the third period) the participants will be asked to show their skills through a conducting test before achieving the final diploma.

Postgraduate level
This course is meant for more experienced choral directors with education from university or conservatorium. The course will concentrate on the conducting of international choral repertoire with an emphasis on interpretation and refined choral conducting. The third stage (the third period) will be a master class, where the participants will conduct a concert program in a concert situation before achieving the final diploma.

At the end of the courses all participants will receive diplomas depending on the level of the course, which lists the number and type of graduated courses they have taken part in earlier and if they have shown special talents during the courses.

There are different kinds of courses.

The usual course is a seminar week stretching from Sunday evening to Saturday. Three main lecturers are normally involved.

We have newly established a short three-day course with two main lecturers. Specialized courses in subjects like children choir music, jazz and pop etc. are being planned.

Each education period should typically end up in a musical manifestation in the form of a concert. These concerts will be the musical culmination of the efforts done by the participants during the education period. The best participants, especially those reaching a “Master Degree” will get the opportunity to conduct a choir in front of an audience. The demonstration choirs will take part individually and will be conducted by invented experts according to the event.