Ralf Eisenbeiß was born in 1952 in Zeulenroda. After his secondary school examination he studied pedagogy, German philology and musical education. He received his PhD in 1979 at the Pedagogical University of Zwickau. From 1978 to 1981, he studied choir and orchestra conducting at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Weimar.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was working as the director of the choral department at the Pedagogical University in Zwickau and appointed professor for choir conducting and choral singing in 1987. He was conductor of the renowned Pedagogical University Zwickau Choir. With his choir he performed a wide repertoire of compositions for a cappella choirs and with orchestra, too. Under his direction the choir won numerous prizes at national and international choir competitions.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was lecturer at the central seminar for choral conductors in Berlin and organized numerous workshops himself. He often appears as guest conductor at home and abroad. Since almost 30 years he works as artistic director of INTERKULTUR. Ralf Eisenbeiß is founder of the Int. Robert Schumann Choir Competition in Zwickau and one of the founders of the World Choir Games. Since 1992 he was responsible for more than 150 international competitions of INTERKULTUR in Germany, Italy, Korea, Indonesia, China, Austria, Spain, USA and other countries. Ralf Eisenbeiß is very often invited as a juror in national and other international choir competitions all over the world.

Miranda Caldi is Associate Professor of Choral Conducting at the Music Department of the Ionian University. She specializes in the performance of vocal music of the Renaissance period and the performance of “Opera for Youth”.

She gained her Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Cape Town in 1972 with the award of the “Eric Chisolm Memorial Prize for General Excellence‟. She gained her Master of Arts degree at the University of York in 1992 followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in Performance Practice in 2002.

Since 1994 she has been Director of the University Choir and Vocal Ensemble at the Ionian University. During this time she has conducted a number of significant performances in Greece and abroad. These have included large and smaller choral works from the Renaissance period to the twentieth century and many world premiers of the works of Greek composers.

Her interests also include the area of “Opera for Youth‟ in which she has taught and organized a number of productions including an International Festival for Youth Opera and commissioned new works from significant contemporary composers. Her editions of the masses of Franciscus Leondaritis have been published by York University Early Music Press and her CD Franciscus Leondaritis Missa super Aller mi fau(l)t (sur) la verdure and four motets was voted one of the top 20 CDs by the magazine Jazz and Jazz in 2003.

Maria Emma Meligopoulou holds a Master Degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University CFA and a PhD from Ionian University Music Department. She has also studied Law at Aristotle University.

Currently, she is adjunct Lecturer at Macedonia University, where she teaches choral conducting techniques and directs University Choirs. She is also Professor of Choral Conducting at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki. She has performed in Greece, Europe (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, UK), Asia (Israel, Turkey, Singapore, China, Japan), Africa (Egypt, South Africa), America (USA, Canada).

As Choral Director she has been several times recipient of First Prizes with her own Choir “Ss. Cyril & Methodios Choir”, among them the Moscow Sounds Festival, INTERKULTUR Festivals, Loto Quebec Festival (Canada), etc.

She is councilmember of the World Choir Games and she is on demand as lecturer, guest conductor and adjudicator in international symposiums, festivals and workshops in Europe, USA and Asia. In 1992 she founded the Ss. Cyril & Methodios Children’s and Youth Choir, the largest choral organization in Northern Greece with over 250 singers in five departments.

She is author of the textbook Introduction to the Art of Choral Praxis (2011) 3rd Edition in 2013 and the Music Edition: 42 Choral Works for Equal Voices by Greek Composers (2014), both available by Nakas-Papagregoriou Editions, Athens.

Dimos Dimitriadis is a Saxophonist, Fulbright Scholar and University Professor of Jazz Studies. He studied in the USA next to iconic jazz musicians and prominent jazz educators and worked as a freelance musician performing next to some of the leading jazz musicians from the US, Europe, Scandinavia, Brazil and South Africa.

Dimos Dimitriadis is regarded as a key figure in musical education in Greece. He is the founder and head of the unique and highly successful Jazz Studies Program at the Ionian University in Corfu, Greece where he holds the first academic position given to a jazz musician in this country.

Dimos Dimitriadis has organized literally hundreds of concerts and seminars in Greece, serves on accreditation boards for Jazz programs, supervises international jazz meetings around the world and serves as secretary of the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ). He is also an active jazz musician with concerts and recordings, and a frequent guest-professor in music institutions around the world. In 2007 he was awarded a Fulbright Artist/Scholar Grant. He has been selected by Japan’s Inamori Foundation as a nominator for the Kyoto Prize in Music 2013 and 2016.

Fred Sjöberg, born 1953, is an educated singer and choral conductor at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and Örebro. Among others he has studied with Prof. Solwig Grippe, Prof. Eric Ericson and Prof. Helmuth Rilling. He has been the first conductor to conduct the three major international youth choirs as World Youth Choir (1991 and 2005), World Chamber Choir (1993) and European Youth Choir (1999).

When the Swedish organization for young choirs “UngiKör” started he was elected as their first president. In 2000 he was appointed as the “Conductor of the Year” in Sweden by SCDA (Swedish Choral Directors Association) appointed with the Johannes Norrby Medallion for outstanding and 2001 service and development to the Swedish Choral Life. From 1997 to 2004 he was the Music Director and conductor of the project “Notes for Millions”.

From 2000 to 2004 he was also Music Director of the Swedish Choral Centre as well as Artistic Director for Lund International Choral Festival from 2005 to 2006. Since 2009 he is Music Director of Swedish International Choral Centre in Örebro. Fred Sjöberg has been Vice President of Europa Cantat as well as President of the Music Commission of Europa Cantat and has also been Vice President of IFCM.

He is Council Member of INTERKULTUR and also on the Artistic Directorium of INTERKULTUR.

From 2015 he is General Artistic Director of INTERKULTUR.

- in memoriam -

Christian Ljunggren was born in 1942. He studied music at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm as well as musicology and theology at the University of Uppsala. For many years he worked at the Music Department of the Swedish National Broadcasting Company, and was responsible for the presentation and programming regarding music.

He was the conductor of the Adolf Fredrik Madrigal Choir since their foundation (1965 and 1974). He was the first President of the Swedish Choral Directors Association (1986 – 1998) and President of KÖRSAM, the joint committee of the Swedish choral organisations (1997 – 2004). From 1997-1999  he worked for the of IFCM, the International Federation for Choral Music, as the Secretary General from 1997-1999 and as a liaison officer (until 2005).

He was one of the Artistic Directors of INTERKULTUR and the Artistic Director of the World Choir Games. Due to his engagement as a clinician for seminars and workshops around the world and having built up the INTERKULTUR series of seminars in China the Swede gained growing recognition since 2003.

Christian Ljunggren has written numerous articles in Swedish and international magazines and was also a keen arranger of choral music.

Jay Clayton is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, composer, and educator, whose work boldly spans the terrain between jazz and new music. Jay has gained worldwide attention as both performer and teacher.

With more than 40 recordings to her credit, Clayton has appeared alongside such formidable artists as Muhal Richard Abrams, Steve Reich, Kirk Nurock, Julian Priester, Jerry Granelli, Jane Ira Bloom, Gary Bartz, Jack Wilkins, George Cables, Fred Hersch, Gary Thomas, tap dancer Brenda Bufalino as well as fellow vocalists Jeanne Lee, Norma Winstone, Urszula Dudziak and Bobby McFerrin.

She has taught extensively throughout the world and was on the jazz faculty of Cornish College of the Arts for 20 years. She is currently on the jazz faculty at Peabody Institute in Baltimore. Her book, Sing Your Story: A Practical Guide for Learning and Teaching the Art of Jazz Singing, was published by Advance Music in 2001.

Born in Thessaloniki, Byron Fidetzis received his violoncello and conducting diplomas at the Music University in Vienna. During his carrier he has co-operated with all Greek orchestras and several orchestras all over Europe, Asia, America, Africa.

He has been chief conductor of orchestras abroad (Yekaterinburg/Russia, Pazardjik/Bulgaria) and in Greece (Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Athens State Orchestra). He has interpreted more than 300 works of Greek composers and recorded a great number in LPs and CDs. He has taught at the Athens University and the Ionian University a well, and he is currently member of its University Council.

He has received awards by the Athens Academy, the National Greek Opera Friends, the Union of Drama and Music Greek Critics and several other constitutions. The Greek Composers Association has duly acknowledged his contribution to Greek music, unanimously electing him Honorary Member in 1986. In 2010 he was nominated a honorary Doctorate at the Athens University.

Fred Sjöberg, born 1953, is an educated singer and choral conductor at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm and Örebro. Among others he has studied with Prof. Solwig Grippe, Prof. Eric Ericson and Prof. Helmuth Rilling. He has been the first conductor to conduct the three major international youth choirs as World Youth Choir (1991 and 2005), World Chamber Choir (1993) and European Youth Choir (1999).

When the Swedish organization for young choirs “UngiKör” started he was elected as their first president. In 2000 he was appointed as the “Conductor of the Year” in Sweden by SCDA (Swedish Choral Directors Association) appointed with the Johannes Norrby Medallion for outstanding and 2001 service and development to the Swedish Choral Life. From 1997 to 2004 he was the Music Director and conductor of the project “Notes for Millions”.

From 2000 to 2004 he was also Music Director of the Swedish Choral Centre as well as Artistic Director for Lund International Choral Festival from 2005 to 2006. Since 2009 he is Music Director of Swedish International Choral Centre in Örebro. Fred Sjöberg has been Vice President of Europa Cantat as well as President of the Music Commission of Europa Cantat and has also been Vice President of IFCM.

He is Council Member of INTERKULTUR and also on the Artistic Directorium of INTERKULTUR.

From 2015 he is General Artistic Director of INTERKULTUR.