Aira Birziņa is one of the most outstanding conductors in Latvia. She has been the director of the Riga Cathedral Girls’ Choir TIARA since 2000. Aira Birziņa has been the principal conductor of the female choirs DZINTARS and RASA for many years. She is professor of choral conducting at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. Since 2003 Aira Birziņa is also one of the chief conductors of the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Festival. She leads various workshops, participates in conferences, and works as a member of jury at the international competitions in Latvia and abroad. The Latvian state has expressed its gratitude by awarding Aira Birziņa for her work in the field of national culture, including the highest recognition of Latvia – the Order of the Tree Stars (2015). She was also awarded with the Certificate of Commendation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan in 2023 and 2021, the Acknowledgement of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia in 2018.

Aira Birziņa is an energetic and fascinating leader, inspiring her singers always perform at their best. She cherishes the traditions of her teachers, the great Latvian choir conductors Imants Kokars, Edgars Račevskis, Jānis Zirnis and Jānis Lindenbergs, and passes this knowledge to her students at the Academy of Music and Riga Cathedral Choir School.

A graduate in orchestral conducting from the Conservatori del Liceu, Xavier García Cardona is a conductor, pianist, and composer and teaches at the Academia Barcelona Concertante. He is the main conductor of the Cor Tessàlia, Orfeó de Sants, the Cor de Cambra de l'Orfeó de Sants, and has conducted several choirs and orchestras. He frequently adjudicates at various international contests and holds seminars and workshops both in Spain and throughout Europe. Xavier García was one of the founders and co-conductors of the Revoice International Vocal Ensemble, a choir of more than 25 nationalities that has performed in several countries and festivals such as the World Expo Milano and the World Forum on Music in Paris. He was 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 the delegate for International Relations of the Spanish Association of choral conductors (AEDCORO).

Johannes is a passionate musician and educator, as well as a highly respected choir conductor in the Belgian choral scene and beyond. He received his professional training at various conservatories in Flanders. As a teacher, he is affiliated with the Academy of Arts in Ghent, the Municipal Conservatory of Bruges, and the Royal Conservatory of Ghent (KASK). From 2013 to 2021, he was a faculty member at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences. He has also taught at the Antwerp Conservatory and the University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu). As a conductor, he refined his skills beyond his master’s studies with Luc Anthonis and Geert Hendrix, working with a diverse range of teachers both in Belgium and abroad, including Aarne Saluveer, Brady Allred, and Bob Chilcott. He has been invited as a conductor, choir coach, and jury member in Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Finland, Spain, South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Currently, he is the principal conductor of the internationally acclaimed choirs Amaranthe, the vocal ensemble Saevus, and BYAC (Brussels Young Adults Choir). He is also a guest conductor for the Ghent Singers. Johannes has been awarded the conductor’s prize at both the Musica Eterna Rome festival and CantaRode in Kerkrade.

Başak Doğan is an innovative conductor whose distinctive artistic language has drawn international attention. After completing her master’s degree in Philosophy of Music at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, she earned a second master’s degree in Rhythmic Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark, where her thesis, “intuitive Conducting,” explored new approaches to musical leadership.

As a dynamic and forward-thinking conductor, she appears at major international choral events, leading ateliers worldwide and serving as a jury member across the globe while working with singers of all ages. Since 2023, she has represented Turkey at the World Choir Council and has been invited to serve on juries at leading competitions including the World Choir Games in South Korea, the European Choir Games, and the Singapore International Choral Competition.

Her choir, Chromas, stands out as a bold, genre-crossing vocal ensemble whose performances are known for their intensity, rhythmic vitality, and emotional depth, consistently leaving a strong artistic imprint on audiences. Blending Western contemporary styles with her own cultural roots, Başak has developed a distinctive method of choral leadership. At the heart of her work lies “Vocal Painting,” a system of gestures that allows conductor and choir to co-create music in real time, transforming performance into shared exploration.

She is the founder of Vokal Akademi and the artistic director of the VoiceUp A Cappella Festival in Istanbul, shaping platforms where singers grow, connect, and redefine what choral music can become.

She studied Choral Conducting at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, specializing in the intertwinement of choral singing, body movement & stage action. She also has a degree in Musicology/Music Education.

For the last 15 years she has been working with all kinds of choirs, amateur & professional. She is the founder and conductor of the Voci Contra Tempo Female Vocal Ensemble and she also conducts the Thessaloniki “Friends of Music Society” Youth & Children’s Choirs. She frequently collaborates with the Greek Radio Choir.

During her time as conductor of the Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam, she had the honour to perform at the inauguration of the Dutch King Willem-Alexander, record for Deutsche Grammophon, perform at the greatest halls in the Netherlands (Concertgebouw, Muziekgebouw, Dutch National Opera) and also win Silver prize at the Cantemus International choir competition in Hungary. Sofia has also performed in many other great halls among Europe, such as the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

She is a much sought-after workshop & masterclass leader all across Europe, collaborating frequently with ECA, IFCM, Feniarco, Accademia Corale Italiana, Choralspace, Greek National Opera.

Walter Marzilli is a musicologist and choral and orchestral conductor holding a doctorate in musicology, with extensive training in conducting, music pedagogy, and vocal technique. He holds numerous artistic and academic roles in international institutions and serves on various committees, editorial boards, and juries.

Internationally active as a conductor, lecturer, and juror, he regularly gives masterclasses at renowned universities and cultural institutions worldwide. He has conducted and continues to lead several choirs, ensembles, and orchestras, and has contributed to numerous publications as well as audio and audiovisual recordings in collaboration with major labels and institutions.

He is a professor of choral conducting, including at the University of Notre Dame, and has taught for many years at various higher education institutions, particularly at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome.

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