Five days of choral music and international encounters came to a festive conclusion in Antequera as the first edition of CANTAQUERA – Festival Coral Internacional celebrated its final moments with the Awards Ceremony.

From March 11–15, 2026, the historic city in the heart of Andalusia welcomed more than 350 singers from ten nations. Choirs, conductors, and audiences shared inspiring performances, lively exchanges, and many moments of musical discovery throughout the festival days. The spirit of the INTERKULTUR motto “Singing together brings nations together” was clearly felt in concerts, competitions, and encounters across the city.

The festival reached a joyful finale with the Choir Parade through the streets of Antequera, where singers gathered once more to celebrate the shared experience of the past days. With music, color, and enthusiastic audiences along the route, the parade created a vibrant atmosphere before arriving at the venue for the Awards & Closing Events.

The Awards Ceremony in the Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor brought all participants together to celebrate the artistic achievements of the participating choirs and to mark the official closing of the festival.

The international jury reported remarkable results, awarding 11 Gold Diplomas and 8 Silver Diplomas, reflecting the high artistic standard presented throughout the competition.

Category Winners at CANTAQUERA – Festival Coral Internacional

The following choirs achieved the highest scores in their respective categories:

Category A1 – Mixed Choirs (Difficulty Level I)

ProVocal Ensemble, Portugal
conducted by César Freitas

Category A2 – Choirs of Equal Voices (Difficulty Level I)

Vokalna Skupina “Vivere”, Slovenia
conducted by Nastja Pančič Čurin

Category G2 – Youth Choirs

Stockholms Musikgymnasium Youth Choir, Sweden
conducted by Sofia Ågren

Category S1 – Sacred Choral Music (Difficulty Level I)

Tartu Ülikooli Kammerkoor, Estonia
conducted by Triin Koch

Category S2 – Sacred Choral Music (Difficulty Level II)

Stockholms Musikgymnasium Youth Choir, Sweden
conducted by Sofia Ågren

Special Prizes for distinctive performances

In addition to the competition results, the international jury awarded three special distinctions to some choirs celebrating their outstanding performances in the competitions:

Special Prize for “Vibrant sound and characterful presentation” was awarded to ProVocal Ensemble from Portugal, conducted by César Freitas.

Special Prize for “Excellence in a broad range of sacred music” went to Tartu Ülikooli Kammerkoor from Estonia, conducted by Triin Koch. 

The Conductor’s Prize was handed over to Sofia Ågren, conductor of the Stockholms Musikgymnasium Youth Choir.

INTERKULTUR congratulates all participating choirs, conductors, and singers on their musical achievements and thanks them for contributing to the success of the first edition of the CANTAQUERA – Festival Coral Internacional in Antequera.

The complete list of competition results can be found here:

Results CANTAQUERA 2026
 

Join the Next INTERKULTUR Events

With its first edition, CANTAQUERA – Festival Coral Internacional has become a new meeting place for choirs from around the world. Choirs are warmly invited to continue their musical journey at upcoming INTERKULTUR festivals and competitions worldwide.

Discover upcoming events and registration opportunities here:

INTERKULTUR Events