Prof. Dr. Friedrich Krell was born in 1928. He studied music and chemistry at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittemberg between 1947 and 1951. He was a teacher at the extended secondary school in Wernigerode since 1951. Right at the start of his work he founded the mixed youth choir. The ensemble, known today as the Wernigerode Radio Youth Choir, enjoys international recognition. Friedrich Krell is a voice teacher whose main aim is to achieve a special ideal in sound quality. During his scientific work in the field of choral music he was primarily concerned with the problem of perceiving and performing 16th century music, as he wrote in his dissertation in 1970. In 1988 Friedrich Krell founded the “Wernigeröder Singakademie”, in 1991 he was appointed to be the director of the Wernigerode College of Music that was built upon his special classes for music. In 1994 the Federal State Music Council of Sachsen-Anhalt charged him with the formation of the Federal State Youth Choir of Sachsen-Anhalt, which has also earned significant artistic recognition since then. Friedrich Krell is a renowned advisor, lecturer at courses for choral conductors and an internationally acting adjudicator for several choral competitions. For his outstanding contributions to the choral movement he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2003.

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 more than 20 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 about hundred 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.

Peter Habermann received his first musical education as a member of the Dresden Kreuzchor. This was followed by a course of Vocal Studies in Dresden which he passed with a First Class Honours degree to be a singing teacher. Since 1984, he has been teaching at the Landesgymnasium für Musik Wernigerode. His scope of work covers both the field of vocal training and the choral education of this institution’s students.

For many years, he acted as a Deputy Artistic Director of the Rundfunkjugendchor Wernigerode with Friedrich Krell. Later, he led the institution’s Children Choir with great success before he became Artistic Director of the Rundfunkjugendchor in 1996, a responsibility that he held until 2004 and has been holding again from 2008 until today.

His work with this internationally renowned ensemble has been rewarded with numerous prizes, and has resulted in many CD recordings as well as concert tours both at home and abroad.

In 2003, he founded the Wernigerode Chamber Choir, a project choir comprising former Rundfunkjugendchor members which he led until 2010. He is also committed to amateur music: for 10 years, he conducted the men’s choir of the village Drübeck. Peter Habermann is an active singer, speaker and juror for INTERKULTUR events and the German Choral Contest.

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 more than 20 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 about hundred 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.

As a concert pianist, Sabine Haenebalcke earned early acclaim for her outstanding Chopin interpretations, and was a valued member of several chamber ensembles. She later trained as a choirmistress and conductor with such names as Nicolas Brochot (Paris), Pierre Cao (Luxembourg) and Laszlo Heltay (London).

She has been a singer for many years, among others with Philippe Herreweghe’s Collegium Vocale and in 1990 founded what would rapidly become a vocal ensemble of considerable standing, Kalliope. Sabine Haenebalcke made her orchestral debut in 1997 as conductor of the Flanders Symphony Orchestra. Since then, her repertoire has grown to include most major oratorios by Bach, Mozart, Verdi (Requiem), Brahms, Fauré, Webber, Michael Tippett (A child of Our Time) and other masters but she also created various works by Flemish composers.

She is the resident choirmistress of Kalliope (Ghent), and, as of recently, the oratorium choir Altra Voce (Kortrijk) and Toon op Toon (Ronse). Sabine Haenebalcke is also highly sought after as a choir coach and is honorary teacher of piano at MUDA in Ghent.

Born in San Sebastian in 1973, Eva Ugalde Álvarez began writing choral music encouraged by the Basque composer Javier Busto. Her particular language, perfectly intelligible in its complexity, and organic for the voice, results in her works being performed all over the world.

Eva Ugalde Álvarez is a regular jury member in national and international competitions such as the European Award for Choral Composers or the international festival "Leonardo de Medici III" in Florence.

In recent years, she has taught masterclasses focused on her work (Pyrenaeum Música, Spain or Movincanto, Italy), courses in choral composition (European Seminar Per Compositori, Aosta, Italy) and conferences ("Composition from a female perspective" for the University of Valencia).

In her role as conductor, she has been invited to Hungary to conduct her works with the Cantemus Female Choir of the Kodaly Institute, one of the world's leading groups in their discipline.

She has recently participated in the recording of a monograph of her music by ALAIA women's choir in Madrid, which has been available since December 2018.

Romāns Vanags is a graduate of Emils Darzins' specialized music college and of the Department of Choir and Orchestra Conducting of Jazeps Vitols' Latvian State Conservatory in Riga. He has received a diploma in choir conducting and in music pedagogy. He studied also symphonic orchestra conducting. In 2003, Romāns Vanags received the professional master's degree in music.

His professional work is focused on conducting and pedagogy. He has been the Chief Conductor of the teachers' choir "Vanema" from 1984 – 2004 and since 1990, he has been the principal Conductor of the Latvian University Female Choir "Minjona". Since 1987, he has been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Jāzeps Mediņš Music School Boys` Choir and has worked with the Jāzeps Mediņš Music College Symphonic Orchestra from 1990 – 1993. Since 1987 Romāns Vanags was employed at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga as professor of choir conducting. From 2005 to 2012 he was the head of the Conducting Department.

Romāns Vanags has been the organizer of various courses for conductors in numerous countries around the world and also jury member of many international choral competitions. He has been appointed as one of the chief conductors of the All Latvian Song Celebration and the Youth Song Festival. Since 2008 he is a member of the World Choir Council. Since August 2014 Romāns Vanags is one of the Artistic Directors of INTERKULTUR and also chairman of the Latvian choral conductors’ board.

The choirs conducted by Romāns Vanags have won numerous awards at international competitions (Arezzo, Debrecen, Tour, Varna, Powel River) and made concert tours all over the world.

In 2008 Romāns Vanags received the highest civil decoration in Latvia – the Three Star Order.

André van der Merwe is a conductor and composer from Cape Town, South Africa. 

He is often invited to perform as guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician nationally and internationally.

He has been invited to work with universities and companies in the USA, Sweden, Germany, China, and Portugal amongst others.

André van der Merwe initially studied B.Mus at the University of Cape Town, but later changed course and studied B.Drama (Directing) at the University of Stellenbosch. He received national awards and prizes as actor and director.

André van der Merwe was invited e.g. as adjudicator and clinician for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, Wales (July 2013) and guest conductor and lecturer for the Taipei International Choral Festival and the Taipei Philharmonic (August 2013).

His arrangements of African music are published by Earthsongs in the USA.

Currently he conducts the Stellenbosch University Choir (number one choir on the INTERKULTUR World Rankings) and the the Stellenberg Girls Choir. From 2005 – 2012 he has established and conducted the South African Youth Choir.

In 2012 André van der Merwe received a ministerial cultural award (Western Cape Government) for his work with choirs and the youth and a civic honorary award from the City of Cape Town.

In 2012 André has been selected as the South African representative on the World Choir Council for INTERKULTUR.