conductor, pianist, adjudicator

• licenciate of the Royal Schools of Music in Choral Conducting
• pianist and pedagogue
• founder and director of the children's choir "Cor Vivaldi of Barcelona"
• national and international adjudicator in Tours, Cantonigròs, Linz, Calella, Torrevieja and others
• has commissioned and premiered several new works dedicated to him and his choir

Xavier García Cardona is a conductor, pianist and composer. He graduated in orchestra conducting from Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona. He teaches piano, music theory and harmony in Academia Barcelona Concertante and is the main conductor of Cor Tessàlia. García has conducted several choirs and orchestras and has been invited to hold seminars, presentations and workshops for choirs and for different choral meetings and symposiums, both in Spain as well as in other European countries. As a composer he has achieved national and international success winning different prizes, and his works are performed worldwide. Xavier García was one of the founders and co-conductors of the Revoice International Vocal Ensemble, a choir of singers from more than 25 nationalities. They have performed in several countries and important festivals and events such as Europa Cantat Pécs, Festival "Voices of Spirit" Graz, World Expo Milano, the Turkish National Radio or the World Forum on Music in Paris organized by the International Music Council. García obtained a fellowship to participate in the "Start-Up for young conductors" program at the European Festival of Youth Choirs Basel 2016. He was also involved in the organization of the World Choral Symposium Barcelona 2017 and has been a member of the artistic committee of the Catalan Youth Choirs Association. He is currently an active member of the Spanish Association of choral conductors (AEDCORO).

Laura Jēkabsone is a Latvian composer, arranger, professional singer, music teacher, conductor and artistic director of the vocal group Latvian Voices. ​​ She got her Bachelor's degree in Music Education at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and gained experience internationally in many vocal workshops and composition competitions. Laura's music has been performed by the a cappella group Latvian Voices, Latvian National Symphonic Orchestra, Liepāja Symphonic Orchestra, State Choir LATVIJA, Riga Cathedral Choir School girls' choir Tiara, The Oxford Choir (UK), Stellenbosch University Choir (SA), Mägi Ensemble (USA), Incantare Coro Femenino (Argentina), Raffles Chorale (Singapore), Landarbaso Abesbatza (Spain), a cappella groups The Real Group (Sweden), Sjaella, Amarcord (Germany), etc.

From 2006 to 2022, Laura worked as an assistant conductor in one of the best Latvian amateur choirs - "Maska". Choir "Maska" has released her first author CD titled "Ziema" (Winter) as well as many significant compositions dedicated to them, which have now become popular in the repertoires of choirs all over the world.

Dr. Dimitris Ktistakis is Choral Conducting Professor at the Department of Music Studies at the Ionian University in Corfu. He leads the Choral Conductors Class with specialization in mixed -professional choir conducting and is the conductor of the Choir and the Vocal Ensemble of the Department of Music Studies. Dimitris Ktistakis was born in Larissa, Greece. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik SAAR in Germany, where he acquired a degree in Piano Teaching and 3 Postgraduate degrees: in Piano Performance, Choral Conducting and Orchestral Conducting. He was selected in the two-year experimental postgraduate class Lied-Duo with Anne Kathrin Fetik and Professor Irvine Gage. He was the first conductor of the award-winning Madrigalchor Dillingen and a scholar of the Richard Wagner Foundation. His assets include recordings for German and Greek Radio and Television, conducting opera productions in world premiere in Athens, as well as appearances as a soloist, conductor, and accompanist of ensembles in Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Romania, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Latvia, Serbia, Sweden, USA and Australia. He is a member of juries in international competitions. He taught Choral Conducting at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and was the conductor of the Kozani Municipal Conservatory. He was the founder and the artistic director of the Trikala Youth Symphony Orchestra and is the conductor of the female vocal ensemble "InDONNAtión", with which he holds 4 gold awards in four successive competitions organized by INTERKULTUR and other organizations. He holds the first Doctoral degree awarded in Greece in Performance of Choral Conducting (DMA). As of January 2016, he has been collaborating with the Greek Radio Choir (ERT).

Donka Miteva studied orchestra conducting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf and Choral conducting at the State Academy of Music in Sofia. She was awarded scholarships from the Richard Wagner Society, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, the European Academy Montepulciano and the Noel Minet Foundation. Donka Miteva worked with numerous ensembles in Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Czech republic, Hungary, Portugal , China, South Africa a.o. 2007 – 2011 she was a Conductor and Choir Director at the State Opera in Münster, Germany. She was awarded the 1st Prize at the 7th Int. Competition for young conductors in St. Petersburg, the 3rd Prize at the 5th Int. Conducting Competition Jeunesse Musicales in Bucharest a.o. Since October 2011 Donka Miteva is appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of Collegium Musicum Berlin where she conducts two Symphony Orchestras, an Oratorio Choir and a chamber choir. She is member of the INTERKULTUR World Choir Council.

JUN WANG is a distinguished Chinese conductor with over four decades of experience, internationally recognized for his artistry and leadership in professional orchestral conducting. Trained at top institutions in both China and the U.S., he has held key positions with major symphony orchestras, serving as Resident Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra (USA), and Principal Conductor of the Xiamen Song and Dance Theatre Orchestra. His interpretive depth, precise technique, and commanding stage presence have earned him acclaim in both performance and education.

Address: Carrer del Raval, 1, 08370 Calella, Barcelona, Spain

Església de Santa Maria i Sant Nicolau is a church in the town of Calella that was built in 1747 after the tower of the original building from 1564 collapsed and destroyed the building. It is built in a neoclassical style and was designed by Josep Morato. After the total destruction and the burning of the interior in 1936, the church was rebuilt from 1939 and finally reopened on September 23, 1951. The church belongs to the Architectural Heritage of Catalonia. The church is illuminated by the large rose window of the main facade and two windows (rear) on eachside of the ship.

Photos: escolania.cat, INTERKULTUR

Address: Carrer Esglesia 91, 08370 Calella, Barcelona, Spain

Sala Mozart is a cinema as well as theater and musical center in the inner city of Calella. It is one of the oldest cinemas in Spain and was opened already in 1904. During the last year, the hall was rebuilt after more than 100 years of running.

Photos: INTERKULTUR, Studi43

Address: Plaça del Pi, 7, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

Santa Maria del Pi, meaning "St. Mary of the Pine Tree", is a 14th-century Gothic church in Barcelona and is situated on the Plaça del Pi, in the Barri Gòtic district of the city. There are unsubstantiated claims that there was an early Christian church located in 413. For a certainty it is known that in 987 there existed a church outside the city walls and to the west of Barcelona. This was a small Romanesque church dedicated to the Blessed Lady of the Pine Tree (one of the titles of the Virgin Mary). The church was built between 1319 and 1391. The style of the church was Catalan Gothic, with a single nave almost devoid of ornamentation. The church has six bells, of which the largest is "Antònia". In 1936 the church was gutted by a fire and was later restored.

Photos: Fotolia, Studi43