Ralf Eisenbeiß was born in 1952 in Zeulenroda. After his secondary school examination he studied pedagogy, German philology and musical education. He received his PhD in 1979 at the Pedagogical University of Zwickau. From 1978 to 1981, he studied choir and orchestra conducting at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Weimar.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was working as the director of the choral department at the Pedagogical University in Zwickau and appointed professor for choir conducting and choral singing in 1987. He was conductor of the renowned Pedagogical University Zwickau Choir. With his choir he performed a wide repertoire of compositions for a cappella choirs and with orchestra, too. Under his direction the choir won numerous prizes at national and international choir competitions.

Ralf Eisenbeiß was lecturer at the central seminar for choral conductors in Berlin and organized numerous workshops himself. He often appears as guest conductor at home and abroad. Since more than 20 years he works as artistic director of INTERKULTUR. Ralf Eisenbeiß is founder of the Int. Robert Schumann Choir Competition in Zwickau and one of the founders of the World Choir Games. Since 1992 he was responsible for about hundred international competitions of INTERKULTUR in Germany, Italy, Korea, Indonesia, China, Austria, Spain, USA and other countries. Ralf Eisenbeiß is very often invited as a juror in national and other international choir competitions all over the world.

Born in Pineda de Mar (Barcelona) where he began studying music at the age of eight, Albert Deprius started singing with Cecilia Fondevila at the Liceu Conservatory of Music and continued his studies with Enriqueta Tarres to obtain the top grades and receiving an honourable mention. As a recitalist lyrical operas and operettas in various auditoriums and theatres in Catalonia, for example in "Palau de la Música" of Barcelona, in South of Europe and South America, he has been awarded first prize in several singing competitions. Jaume Aragall Foundation, later he was awarded with a scholarship to attend the Master Class with tenor Jaume Aragall.

He attended lectures given by Montserrat Caballé, Jaume Aragall Pedro Lavirgen, Rolando Panerai, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Vicente Sardinero.

He has performed leading roles in several operas as in "Cançó d’Amor i de Guerra", "Marina" or "La Tabernero del Puerto".

In 1998 he started to teach music theory, piano, choral singing at the Music Center Can Salom, where since 2002 he has been the director. He also has taught voice lessons and singing lessons.

He is the director of the Harmony Choir, Symphony Harmony Orchestra and the gate artistic director of the Lyric City Season Calella.

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

Enrique Azurza is the Artistic Director of Sociedad Coral de Bilbao since 2016. He studied choral conducting in the Basque Country and in Stockholm with Anders Eby, Eric Ericson and Carl Högset.

He has conducted the choir "Hodeiertz" of Tolosa since 1985. In 1997 he founded the professional Vocal Ensemble KEA with the aim of promoting contemporary and ancient music. He has been the Spanish representative in the World Choral Symposium with "Hodeiertz", Sydney 1996, and with KEA vocal ensemble in Argentina 2011.

He teaches choral singing in Musikene, Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco and is President of the Confederation of Choirs in the Basque Country.

Azurza has conducted the Choir of the University of the Basque Country (1999-2016), the Choir of the Choral Singing Institute of Aragon (1993-2003), the Spanish National Youth Choir and the Coro Lírico de Cantabria (2011-2015). All of the choirs have successfully participated in national and international contests and has recorded several CDs.

He gives regularly workshops and has been member of the jury in different festivals. He is member of the musical committee in the International Choral Contest of Tolosa, in the World Symposium Barcelona 2017 and artistic director of the National Choral Contest of Ejea de los Caballeros.

Michael Joseph Barrett is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is the conductor of the University of Pretoria (Tuks) Camerata and a lecturer in Choral Music Studies in the Department of Music. He was a member of the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir from 1992 to 1997. He obtained the degrees BMus in Performing Arts in 2005 and MMus, specialising in choral conducting from the University of Pretoria. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from UNISA and a Performance Licentiate in Singing (2008). In 2017, Michael completed his Doctorate of Music at the University of Pretoria, specialising in Choral Conducting.

In July 2017, the "Camerata" performed as guest choir at the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music, held in Barcelona. He is a member of the Artistic Committee for the 10th World Choir Games which will be hosted in South Africa in July 2018. He is regularly invited to adjudicate and give workshops on choral music across the globe. Michael is also an active composer and arranger.

The University of Pretoria Camerata has recorded several CD’s, of which Phoenix (2015) and Love and War (2017) have both been received to critical acclamation, nominated for Best Classical/Instrumental Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA).

Hans van den Brand studied Music in Education, Piano and Choral Conducting at the Brabants Conservatorium Tilburg. He attended master classes in Orchestral conducting, Opera conducting plus Arranging and Vocal Jazz & Pop.

1978, Hans founded the vocal jazz group "Kluster". He conducted the "Souvenir des montagnards" opera choir (’89-’02), from ’94 till ’01 he was artistic leader of the Zuid-Nederlands Kamerkoor and in he was the MD from one of the most famous Dutch musicals "Ciske de Rat".

Van den Brand is musical supervisor from the "MusiCompany" and academic teacher in Conducting Choir & Ensemble, both at the Fontys Conservatory as at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

In 2003 Hans founded the "Fontys Jazz Choir". The choir won the Dutch TV Competion ‘Battle of the Choirs’ in 2010, won two gold medals during the World Choir Games in Riga 2014 and in Sochi 2016. In October 2015 the choir won the BALK Top Festival Direct Mics Competition and was with the highest scores over all winner of the Festival.

Hans was the artistic leader of the International Vocal Group Festival Holland and is a well-known jury member, clinician and coach. He is the co-founder of the Vocal Pop & Jazz Days in Soesterberg and guest teacher both at the Choral Conducting Course from BALK and the Kurt Thomas Course.

Born in Pineda de Mar (Barcelona) where he began studying music at the age of eight, Albert Deprius started singing with Cecilia Fondevila at the Liceu Conservatory of Music and continued his studies with Enriqueta Tarres to obtain the top grades and receiving an honourable mention. As a recitalist lyrical operas and operettas in various auditoriums and theatres in Catalonia, for example in "Palau de la Música" of Barcelona, in South of Europe and South America, he has been awarded first prize in several singing competitions. Jaume Aragall Foundation, later he was awarded with a scholarship to attend the Master Class with tenor Jaume Aragall.

He attended lectures given by Montserrat Caballé, Jaume Aragall Pedro Lavirgen, Rolando Panerai, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Vicente Sardinero.

He has performed leading roles in several operas as in "Cançó d’Amor i de Guerra", "Marina" or "La Tabernero del Puerto".

In 1998 he started to teach music theory, piano, choral singing at the Music Center Can Salom, where since 2002 he has been the director. He also has taught voice lessons and singing lessons.

He is the director of the Harmony Choir, Symphony Harmony Orchestra and the gate artistic director of the Lyric City Season Calella.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad is educated as a singer and conductor with a Master Degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.

Her teachers and mentors in conducting have been Stefan Sköld, Anders Eby and Mogens Dahl.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad is one of Norway’s most acknowledged choir conductors. She is a very popular and inspiring guest conductor and she is frequently used as an adjudicator in international choir competitions.

She has conducted the female choir "Cantus" since their beginning in 1986. "Cantus" has received a lot of attention, won several competitions and is known by their Nordic sound. This sound was the reason Disney discovered "Cantus", and led to the choir being preferred to sing in their animation movie 'Frozen'.

Earlier she has been the conductor of both mixed and male ensembles. Now her experience is much used as a mentor for younger conductors.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad is working for the Norwegian Choral Association as a music director, where developing education systems for conductors in Norway is one of the main issues.