• Category A – Difficulty level I
  • A1 – Mixed Choirs
  • A2 – Equal Voices (Male and Female Choirs)

• Category B – Difficulty level II
  • B1 – Mixed Choirs
  • B2 – Equal Voices (Male and Female Choirs)

• Category C – Chamber Choirs and Vocal Ensembles
  • C1 – Chamber Choirs and Vocal Ensembles of mixed voices
  • C2 – Chamber Choirs and Vocal Ensembles of equal voices

• Category G – Children's & Youth Choirs
  • G1 – Children's Choirs
  • G2 – Youth Choirs of equal voices
  • G3 – Youth Choirs of mixed voices

• Category S – Sacred Choral Music a cappella
• Category F – Folklore
• Category P – Pop & Jazz

A detailed description of the competition categories can also be found in the booklet available for download:
Participant Information(1.5 MB)

Evaluation Performance

for non-competing choirs

• three pieces of the choir's choice
• performed before a panel of qualified international jurors who provide immediate positive artistic and pedagogical advice for improvement
• certificates of participation will be awarded, as well as evaluation ratings and recommendation letters for future INTERKULTUR competitions upon request

Number of singers: unlimited
Singing time: maximum 15 minutes
Accompaniment: possible
Duration: 45 minutes

for competing choirs

• presentation of the competition program the day before competitions begin
• performed before a panel of qualified international jurors who provide immediate positive artistic and pedagogical advice for improvement
• the evaluation does not involve preliminary decisions regarding the competition result

Number of singers: according to category rules
Singing time: according to category rules
Accompaniment: according to category rules
Duration: 45 minutes

Individual Coaching

• one piece of the choir’s choice
• with an international choral expert for stimulating artistic ideas and interpretive guidance
• for an effective rehearsal, choirs must prepare one piece in advance

Number of singers: unlimited
Singing time: 45 minutes rehearsal session
Accompaniment: unlimited

The respective Category Winners are invited to participate in the competition for the Grand Prize. The jury reserves the right to nominate further choirs for participation. The winner of this competition will receive the JOHANNES BRAHMS CHOIR PRIZE 2021 - endowed with 2.000 €.

• Program: two freely chosen a cappella pieces which may not be the ones the choir had already performed in their whole competition program. Those two pieces must be confirmed by the artistic committee.
• ACTUAL SINGING TIME: the maximum actual singing time is 8 minutes.

Information about participation and competition rules

Participant Information(1.5 MB)

Registration Form

Please send the completed registration form via email to mail(at)interkultur.com. Additionally please print it, sign it and send it via post with the other registration documents to our office.

Registration Form(550 KB)

IMPORTANT: To open the form the current version of Adobe Reader is required. You can download it at www.adobe.com.

Dear friends of choral music,

the issue of visas generally takes a long time. Therefore please make sure to apply for your visa as soon as possible. It is in your own interest. In case you apply too late, you risk a rejection of your visa registration!

Please contact the embassy of the host country in your country to get detailed information what restrictions and regulations apply to you!

Please keep also in mind that you might need transit visas, depending on your itinerary to the competition country.

If you do not have a valid passport yet, please apply for this immediately!

Participants of some countries need an invitation letter as well as a stamped list of participants to apply for a visa. INTERKULTUR can issue these documents.

Information on travel and health regulations of the destination country can be found on the website of the tourism partner agency M&C Music Contact GmbH.

Important Information

INTERKULTUR can issue the invitation letter for the duration of the event and can stamp your list of participants to apply for visas only if you have fulfilled all the following conditions:

• you have successfully applied for the event and paid the registration fee to INTERKULTUR
• you have paid the down payment for the event package to our partner agency M&C Music Contact GmbH
• you have sent us the completed list of participants (no handwriting!)

Please send the list only once and try to avoid changes of participants, as changes may delay the issue of your visa. We recommend adding 3 or 4 alternative names as a reserve for participants who may cancel the travel.

As soon as you have complied with those three conditions we will send the invitation letter including the confirmed list of participants by email and the original documents by airmail directly to the responsible person of the choir. This person shall bring the documents to the embassy personally.

Please keep in mind that if you comply with the conditions too late so that we have to send the original invitation letter per international express delivery, you have to take over the additional costs (approx. 100 – 300 EUR).

List of Participants

Please download the document, fill it in completely and send it to us as soon as possible.

To open the file the current version of Adobe Reader is required. You can download it at www.adobe.com.

You can send the file

- by sending an email, the list of participants attached, to visa(at)interkultur.com  
- by printing it (after filling it in at your computer – no handwriting!) and sending it to us by fax (+49 6404 69749 29)

We assume no liability regarding the application and granting for visas. We do not offer this service but we gladly assist you when you apply for visa at the respective embassy in your country.

List of Participants(360 KB)