© INTERKULTUR

Singers go Netherlands!

First INTERKULTUR choir event in the Dutch kingdom

International Choir Competition Maastricht

None other place than the birthplace of the European Union, the Dutch city of Maastricht, opens the INTERKULTUR choral season 2019 with a premiere event. INTERKULTUR and the Maastricht Convention Bureau welcome singers and choral music lovers from February 7 - 11, 2019 to the first edition of the International Choir Competition Maastricht. 26 choirs from 7 nations will compete in 11 categories at historic venues throughout the city.

On Thursday, February 7, the choirs enjoy the Opening Ceremony at 19:30 at the MECC Auditorium 2 in Maastricht, where more than 700 singers will come together in order to spend the upcoming days with each other: Singers from China, Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and Russia gather to share and celebrate their mutual passion of choral singing.

On Friday, February 8, the world famous Boekhandel Dominicanen, a “Bookstore made in Heaven” (The Guardian), will prepare the stage for choirs from China, Finland and Germany at 11:00 in the setting of this former Dominican church. At 14:00 the MECC Auditorium 2 opens its doors for choral music lovers and participants regarding the performances of Jazz & Pop Choirs from the Netherlands and Germany and at 17:00 at Auditorium 1 for the category Jazz & Pop Ensembles. A Friendship Concert at another stunning location, the Sint Janskerk with its characteristic red tower, will showcase Korean, Russian and Dutch choral traditions at 18:00 and tune the expectant audience in for the upcoming choir days. And the show still goes on – the Pop Night at the MECC Auditorium 2 at 20:00 with the Vocal Group Just Us from the Netherlands, FLOW from Germany, @NOON from the Netherlands and Sounding People from Germany is bound to knock the audience off their feet!

On Saturday, February 9, six competition categories wait in the wings and call jury, the choral community and fellow singers to evaluate, enjoy and indulge in Children’s Choirs at 14:00, Youth Choirs of Mixed Voices at 15:15, Youth Choirs of Equal Voices at 15:30, Mixed Choirs at 19:30 as well as Choirs of Equal Voices at 20:45 and 21:00. In between the Sint Janskerk awaits its audience for another friendship concert with sounds from Germany, Japan and the Netherlands at 18:00.

Sacred Choral Music of Difficulty Level I and II will shape Sunday, February 10 starting at 12:30 and 14:15 at the Sint Janskerk: China, Finland, Germany and Russia will compete for the best rankings and present a varied repertoire of sublime songs including Claudio Monteverdi, Jean Sibelius, Eric Whitacre and others. The Award Ceremony and the Closing Concert at the MECC Auditorium 1  at 17:30 will end the first International Choir Competition Maastricht on a high note.

More information about the event is available here. Follow the event’s official Facebook page for updates, photos and videos from the event!

RELATED NEWS