Unanimously recognized as one of the greatest interpreters of the Renaissance and Baroque vocal repertoire, Giovanni Acciai studied choral music, choir conducting organ and organ composition at the Conservatory “Giuseppe Verdi” in Milan, and took his master degree in musicology at Pavia University.

He was conductor of the Chamber Choir and of the Symphonic Choir of the Italian Broadcast and of the Corale Universitaria of Turin. Presently, he is the conductor and artistic director of the vocal and instrumental ensembles “I Solisti del Madrigale”, and “Nova ars cantandi”, with which he carries out an intense concert and recording activity; he has published several articles and reviews on early music, musicological essays, as well as recordings of unreleased works for the publishers Antes, Stradivarius, Sarx, Unda maris, Tactus and Archiv Deutsches Grammophon.

His latest CD production with Nova Ars Cantandi, the "Armonici entusiasmi di Davide" by Giovanni Battista Bassani, has been nominated for the International Classic Music Award as the best CD of the year 2017 in the category Early Music.

His CD "Contrafacta" was named album of the month for the magazines Classic Voice and Amadeus as well as his CD "Responsoria" by Leonardo Leo for the music critic review Musica. He teaches musical history and early music semiography at the Conservatory “Giuseppe Verdi” in Milan, moreover he is the artistic director of the International choir competitions of Quartiano, Grado, Perugia and Lucca. He is regularly invited as an international jury member and jury president in most renewed choir competitions; he is sought after as a lecturer at conferences of musicology and asked to hold masterclasses for choral conducting in Italy and abroad.

For his high-ranking international artistical achievements in 1991, he was appointed honorary member of the American Choral Directors Associations (ACDA). Giovanni Acciai was a member in the panel of the International juries at the Choir Olympics as well as the World Choir Games and since 2004 he is an active member and official representative for Italy in the World Choir Games International World Choir Council. Since 2014, he is artistic director of the Accademia di Musica Antica of Milan and since 2005 active member of the Réseau Européen de Musique Ancienne” (REMA) of Versailles.

Jürgen Budday studied music education, church music and musicology from 1967 to 1974 at the State University of Music and the Performing Arts Stuttgart. From 1979 to 2012, he taught at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Maulbronn, a high school with boarding school.

He is the founder and artistic director of the "Maulbronn Chamber Choir", which he conducted until June 2016. From 1979 to 2013, he was the artistic director of the "Maulbronn Monastery Concerts" at the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Baden-Württemberg and developed the concert series into a classical music festival with international renown.

With the Maulbronn Chamber Choir he has won numerous prizes at home and abroad, such as 1st prize at the International Choir Days in Prague in 1990 and 1998, 2nd prize at the 3rd German Choir Competition in 1990 in Stuttgart, 2nd prize in 2009 at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf and victory at the International Choir Competition in Malta.

Regular activities as guest conductor, workshop leader and juror also lead Jürgen Budday to travel regularly at home and abroad.

From 2002 – 2019, he was Chairman of the Advisory Board for Choirs at the German Music Council and thus Jury Chairman of the German Choir Competition and has been the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Federal Youth Choir at the German Music Council (DMR) since 2019.

In 2013, Jürgen Budday received the Georg-Friedrich-Händel-Ring, one of the highest awards in choral music, and in 2014 he was appointed artistic director of the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf.

conductor, adjudicator, lecturer

• National First Class Conductor and Vice President of China Chorus Association
• Director of Mass Chorus Committee of Chinese Chorus Association
• President of Guangdong Chorus Association and President of Shenzhen Chorus Society
• founder and Director of Guangdong International Choral Pedagogic Education Project
• has directed many choruses, which have won champion titles in numerous choral contests, both home and abroad in recent years

Margrethe Ek started conducting at the age of 14 and studied music for eight years, including master in singing, an education in music performance and presentation, and a diploma in conducting from the Norwegian Academy of Music. She has written a book of the health benefits of singing in a choir (Cantando 2012). An article of choir and health benefits are to be published in the bulletin of international federation of choral music (IFCM).

Margrethe Ek currently works as a teacher in music at two local high schools. She has previously worked at the University of Oslo within the subjects of song and conduction for 11 years.

Being a conductor filled with energy and dynamic presentations, she has conducted several ensembles at high levels within several genres – both choirs and instrumental ensembles (symphony orchestras and wind ensembles). Margrethe Ek’s different ensembles have often been seen on national TV and radio, and they have participated in choir contests at international levels with great results.

Margrethe Ek has been acknowledged as both a lecturer and a visiting conductor for both businesses and musical ensembles in Norway. She is often invited to be a judge in both national and international choir contests. This is her first jury assignment for an INTERKULTUR choir competition.

Today Margrethe Ek is the conductor of Moss Ensemble Consensus, founded in 2010.

Dr. Miguel Ángel Felipe was appointed Director of Choral Activities at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, in 2011. Felipe is also active as a clinician and conductor in the US, Asia, South America, and Europe. Upcoming and recent engagements include leading choirs in the Philippines, Japan, and Hawai‘i; presenting masterclasses in Sweden, Shanghai, and California; and adjudicating choirs in Indonesia, Germany, and Singapore.

As devoted supporter of new music and lesser known masterpieces, Felipe

has commissioned extensively and spoken at national events about the composer-conductor relationship. His research focuses on choral innovations in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, on concepts of the influence of choral societies in cultural development, and on choral programming.

Felipe has served on the faculties of Oberlin College & Conservatory, The Boston Conservatory, Brown University, and Mount Holyoke College. He has led choirs at Harvard University (USA); the Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto (Brazil); and in churches. He serves as president of the Hawai‘i Chapter, American Choral Directors Association and as a national board member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.

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.

T. J. Harper is the Chair of the Providence College Department of Music, Associate Professor of Music, and Director of Choral Activities at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the 2015 Professor of the Year and recipient of the Joseph R. Accinno Teaching Award. He conducts the college’s three choral ensembles: I Cantori, Concert Chorale and the Oriana Women's Choir. Harper teaches courses in Conducting, Secondary Choral Methods, Applied Conducting and Applied Voice.

Choirs under the direction of Dr. Harper have performed amongst others at the 2017 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Eastern Division Conference in Atlantic City, NJ, the 2014 NAfME National Conference in Nashville, TN and the 2013 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) New England Collegiate Choral Conference in Keene, NH. International performances by invitation include Austria (2015), Czech Republic (2015), Spain (2013) and Italy (2011).

Harper maintains an active schedule in the US and abroad as a guest conductor, clinician and jury member and further contributes publications and research results. Recent engagements include headlining clinician for the Costa Rica National Choral Seminar in February 2017 and for the China National Choral Conference and conducting the Beijing Harmonia Choir, October 2016; Master classes for El Sistema and conducting the Venezuela National Choir, July 2016. Additional engagements include residencies, guest conducting, lectures and master classes in Argentina, Sweden, Germany, South Korea, Thailand and Venezuela.

Dr. Harper is the Chair of the ACDA Standing Committee on International Activities and the Director of the ACDA International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP). He is the Past-President of the Rhode Island Music Educators Association (RIMEA) and the immediate President of the Rhode Island chapter of the ACDA.

Since 1998, Mārtiņš Klišāns, works as art director of the Rīga Cathedral Boys’ Choir. Under his guidance, the choir has been granted the Latvian Grand Music Award - the highest State award in music and Latvian Music Recording Award.

Klišāns has graduated from the conducting class at the Jāzeps Vītols’ Latvian Music Academy (tutored by Imants Kokars). He got his Master’s degree in 2009. His vocal skills were improved at Bach Academy (Stuttgart, Bruce Abel). As a vocalist, Klišāns has contributed to the chamber choir Ave Sol and Rīga Vocal Group. As a tenor solo performer, he has participated in more than one hundred performances of the Baroque operas and oratories.

Klišāns still teaches at the Rīga Cathedral Choir School and at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. In July, 2004, he was a guest conductor at the Americafest: the world festival for boys’ and men’s choir singing. He’s a member of the council of the World Choir Games and of the INTERKULTUR association, and has been a part of international juries lately. He is the conductor of the amateur choirs Juventus and Beverīna and also conducts the mixed choir Vaidelote, the mixed choir Valmiera, and is chief conductor of Cēsis district. Klišāns has also been elected chief conductor of the Great Song Festival 2008, 2013 and 2018 as well; he was also among the chief conductors of the IX and X Latvian Youth Song and Dance Festivals. Annually he is invited to the different choral competitions as a jury member. In 2015 Mārtiņš Klišāns got the highest State award – The Order of Three Stars.

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.

choral and orchestral conductor, music director

• choral and orchestral conductor, church music director, organist
• gives master classes and workshops all over the world
• guest conductor of several European radio choirs and festivals
• Artistic Director of the Copenhagen Concert Society
• jury member at eight editions of the World Choir Games

- 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.

Maria Emma Meligopoulou holds a Master Degree in Choral Conducting from Boston University CFA and a PhD in Choral Conducting and pedagogy for Children and Youth Choirs from Ionian University. She has also studied Law at Aristotle University. She teaches Choral Conducting Techniques and directs the University Choir at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki.

She also teaches at the master’s program of Choral Conducting at Ionian University and is professor of Choral Conducting at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki. She has performed many choral concerts and international tours in Greece, Europe (Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, UK), Asia (Israel, Turkey, Singapore, China, Japan), Africa (Egypt, South Africa), 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 council member of the World Choir Games, Artistic Advisor of Interkultur Festivals, and she is on demand as lecturer, guest conductor and adjudicator in international symposiums, festivals and workshops worldwide. In 1992 she founded the Ss. Cyril & Methodios Children’s and Youth Choir, the largest choral organization in Northern Greece with over 300 singers in five departments (preparatory choir, children’s choirs, mixed youth choir and chamber choir).

She is author of the textbook Introduction to the Art of Choral Praxis (2011) 3rd Edition in 2013 and the Music Editions: Choral Works for Equal Voices by Greek Composers (2014), and Christmas Choral Works for Equal Voices (2016), all of them available by Nakas - Papagregoriou Editions, Athens.

conductor, lecturer, clinician

• made a distinguished career as a conductor and pedagogue
• her choirs "Grex Musicus" and "Philomela" have been successful in many competitions at home and abroad
• characterized as a pioneer of female choir singing and inspiring instructor at domestic and international choir seminars
• the President of Finland granted her the Finnish honorary title of "musiikkineuvos" in 2009

Johan Rooze studied Piano and Conducting at the Utrecht Conservatory, the Netherlands. Later he went to the U.S. to specialize in Jazz Piano, Singing and Arranging.

He was founder and 23 years Musical Director of the Utrecht University Vocal Group “Dekoor”. They won many prices such as The Dutch Choir Festival, The International Vocal Group Festival and the “Idols for choir” TV show, “Korenslag” 2007 in the Netherlands. He was Conductor of the Utrecht Student Symphonic Choir and Orchestra. With these choirs he toured all over the world. Johan Rooze founded the “Dudok-Ensemble”, an outstanding Project Choir, conducted the monthly Bach Cantatas in Utrecht and was guest conductor with the National Radio Choir.

Furthermore he was Professor for Vocal Jazz, Conducting and Arranging at the Conservatories of Rotterdam and Alkmaar, a member of the board of Musical Advisors for the Dutch Royal Christian Music Association and Artistic Director for the International Choir Festival, Netherlands 2005.

In 2008 he moved to South Korea and teaches Choral Music and Jazz Piano at the Yeongnam University. He is musical director of a new Jazz Choir (Yaenoeul Jazz Singers) and in 2010 he founded the professional Daegu Students Choir. He is a frequent guest conductor with other choirs. Besides his choral work he is very active as a Jazz Pianist and Arranger. He works as Artistic Director for INTERKULTUR and is a frequently asked adjudicator, speaker and workshop-leader internationally.

conductor, professor, lecturer

• graduate of the Humboldt-University of Berlin (music education) and the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin (choral and ensemble conducting)
• conductor of successful national and international choirs
• from 1980-1994 honorary lecturer in choral conducting at the Humboldt-University
• since 2005, choral conducting professor at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
• juror and head of national and international conductor seminars worldwide
• was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit with Ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2004 for his services to German choir music

• Artistic Director and chief conductor of The Chamber Choir of the Moscow Conservatory & Professor at the Choral Conducting Department & Dean of the Office for Foreign Students’ Affairs of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory
• Artistic Director of the International Festivals of Moscow Conservatory: Autumn Choral Festival named after Prof. Boris Tevlin, Dedicated to the Victory Day, The Sealed Angel, Born in Russia
• Artistic Director of the State Choir of Tula region & Professor at the Choral Conducting Department of Moscow State Institute of Music named after A.G. Schnittke
• President of Creative Initiatives Development Fund

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.

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.

Jonathan Velasco is a much sought-after choral conductor, clinician and adjudicator in the world today.

He and his choirs have won first prizes in major European choral competitions. He regularly adjudicates choral competitions in Europe and Asia, and gives choral conducting workshops and choral clinics worldwide. He currently conducts the Ateneo Chamber Singers.

Velasco is the Philippine representative in the INTERKULTUR World Choir Council. He was elected the first President of the Philippine Choral Directors Association in 2008. He was awarded the Pinoy Playlist Music Festival Ryan Cayabyab 2022 Award for his lifelong excellent contribution to Filipino choir music. He was recently appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.