‘A TRUE HONOR’
ECU Chamber Singers win international choral competition
The East Carolina University School of Music Chamber Singers became the first American choir ever to win the 13th International Maribor Choral Competition Gallus held April 10-12 in Maribor, Slovenia.
The competition is part of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing, an annual contest between the winners of six European choral competitions of very high artistic quality. Despite its name, the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing is not limited to European choirs; invited ensembles from many countries participate.
Andrew Crane, director of the ECU Chamber Singers, displays the awarded sculpture of Jacobus Gallus, the Slovenian Renaissance composer for whom the contest is named.
The ECU Chamber Singers were the only choral group from the United States invited to the Maribor competition this year. Other participants came from Latvia, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Indonesia and Slovenia.
With the win, the ECU Chamber Singers qualified for the finals of the European Grand Prix competition in Varna, Bulgaria, in 2016.
“It is a true honor to be invited to represent the United States in an international choral competition at this level,” said Andrew Crane, Chamber Singers director. “The other invited choirs had very impressive professional resumes, and I imagine they thought of us as underdogs. Our victory is a testament to the hard work, intense preparation and dedication of this special group of ECU students.”
The ECU Chamber Singers were selected to compete in Slovenia, a small country in south-central Europe near Italy, because of their outstanding performance at the Tolosa International Choral Contest in Spain last year. Owing to the high profile of the competition and the honor of being invited to compete, the competition funds the cost of lodging and food for the singers while in Maribor.
ECU’s choral group consists of auditioned undergraduate and graduate students, and is the select choral ensemble at the university. They maintain a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule, and focus predominantly on unaccompanied choral literature suitable for advanced chamber choir.
As the winner, ECU’s School of Music receives a 2,500 Euro cash prize to be used for choral activities, and the Chamber Singers receive a first place medal, the flag of the competition and a sculpture of Jacobus Gallus, the Slovenian Renaissance composer for whom the contest is named.