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Looking forward to a full and exciting 2020?
We're back, with recharged batteries and filled with excitement for the upcoming year! We know this is the time most people pin their highlights to their agendas, you might be one of those people!
Don't forget to have a look at our 2020 activities and pick your favourites.
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Last days to apply for singing in the final concert of Beethoven Anniversary Year
Did you know that Ludwig van Beethoven's birthplace is actually Bonn, in Germany? If you did, then you must know that this year, the whole city celebrates his life and work, having his masterpieces played throughout the year as a celebration for the contribution he had to music.
Be part of this Celebration Year and sing at the ending gala concert on 17 December 2020, for which we are casting a pan-European Youth Choir. The choir will be prepared by Simon Halsey, to perform the gala concert together with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, as well as an acapella programme to be performed on December 17th in the afternoon.
Don't miss this one time opportunity, the deadline is right around the corner: 31 January 2020.
Find more information on our 2020 projects at: http://bit.ly/35D6dZS
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National Youth Choirs! Engage in an EPIC Project!
In the frame of our new EPIC project, we are looking to offer training opportunities to emerging young musicians, with a special focus on National Youth Choirs. As part of the project and in order to further the professionalisation and internationalisation of the careers of those participating in youth ensembles, we are offering:
- Dedicated visits to National Youth Choirs to share information about the EuroChoir, World Youth Choir, and the EPIC project as a whole.
- Online training on topics such as how to prepare a portfolio, how to prepare for an audition and much more
- Tailored ateliers for National Youth Choir singers at Europa Cantat 2021 Ljubljana, Slovenia
If you represent a National Youth Choir and are interested to hear more about, to get involved in and to benefit from the special offering of the EPIC project, please get in touch!
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SHIFT Project Kicks off
As a partner in the SHIFT project (Shared Initiatives for Training), led by the European Music Council, we will be leading on the output on Sustainable Development Goal 10, Reducing Inequality.
Increasing accessibility and contributing to inclusive societies are the central themes, focussing on people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds. We aim to allow leaders of cultural organisations to access recommendations on how to advance inclusive practices in their operations, to train their staff and to include this as a strategic priority.
If you have any examples of best practice in this field, do not hesitate to let us know!
Get in touch with us!
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European Award for Choral Composers
Ljubljana, Slovenia | 2021
The aim of the award is to discover unknown or less known choral works from different European countries, already published and/or performed or written for the occasion, that are good and interesting and can be performed by a good non-professional choir.
Organised in cooperation with the Republic of Slovenia's Public Fund for Cultural Activities JSKD, the European Award for Choral Composers is the continuation of the ” Golden Tuning Fork ” Award, organised by AGEC over many years. The aim of the award is to discover unknown or less known choral works from different European countries, also appropriate for non-professional choirs to sing.
Choral compositions can only be nominated by a national or regional federation, member of ECA-EC that can submit up to 3 works in each decided category, composed by one or different composers within the past five years. The works need to be submitted until the 30th of April 2020.
Each awarded work will be performed in the frame of the EUROPA CANTAT Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2021. The composers of the winning works will be invited to the festival. ECA-EC will use their best endeavours to promote the publication and the spreading of the awarded scores.
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Will we see you at our Membership Weekend 2020 in Galway?
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Dear members,
Make sure you make no other plans between the 20th and 22nd of November because you have awesome workshops, great concerts and wonderful people to meet at our 2020's Membership Weekend in Galway, Ireland.
In the frame of the cooperation project SHIFT (Shared Initiatives for Training), coordinated by the European Music Council and co-funded by the EU Programme Erasmus+, we will organise a multiplier event to share tools and methods on how to include the Sustainable Development Goals in the daily work of a culture organisation, with a focus on the topic of inclusion.
Stay tuned, more details are coming soon!
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CHORAL ACTIVITIES
(under the ECA-EC label)
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Upcoming deadlines
January:
30 January > Deadline for applications for the Study Tour to Basel Youth Choir Festival (more below)
31 January > Deadline for applications for the pan-European Youth Choir for BTHVN2020
31 January > Deadline for applications for Europa Cantat Junior Festival
February:
29 February > Deadline for applications for Africa Cantat
March:
31 March > Deadline for applications for In the Footsteps of Ludwig van Beethoven
31 March > Deadline for applications EuroChoir 2020
31 March > Deadline for applications European Seminar for choral composers
31 March > Deadline for applications Choralp
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Youth choirs, will you sing with us at the EYE 2020?
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Youth choirs, what are your plans for May 29th and 30th?
European Youth Event opens registrations!
What is it?
The European Youth Event (EYE) is organised every two years in Strasbourg by the European Parliament for young people aged 16-30 to meet in order to share and shape their ideas for the future of Europe.
What does it have to do with collective singing?
The ECA - EC Youth Committee contributes to the EYE programme by offering an open singing, that we called Let’s Sing! - Collective singing as a tool for community building. This activity will be open to all EYE attendees, no experience needed, but why not come with your youth choir and create together a powerful moment?
How can you attend?
You must register to the EYE as a whole with a group of at least 10 people. Participation itself is free of charge, but you need to arrange and cover your own travel and accommodation.
It is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to new audiences and build bridges between youth choirs and young people in general. Maybe new singers will join a choir after the event! So, will we see you in Strasbourg?
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A few days left to register for Europa Cantat Junior
Vilnius, Lithuania | 5-13 August 2020
Organised in partnership with ECA-EC | special price for ECA-EC members
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It's hard to imagine there is a better place to be with your youth choir in August 2020, than Vilnius, learning, singing and making friends at the Europa Cantat Junior.
Work with an amazing selection of world-class professionals like: Basilio Astulez, Elise Bradley, Elisenda Carrasco, Petra Grassi, Maud Hamon-Loisance, Christian Ronsfeld, Hirvo Surva, and Valerija Skapiene.
Exciting music, insightful workshops and a week-long filled with fun, sun and music! It doesn't get better than this!
Deadline for registration: 31st of January
Info on: https://europacantatjunior.org/2020/
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Revealing backstage magic with the project managers
Basel, Switzerland | 20 - 24 May 2020
Activity from the network | promoted by ECA-EC
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The festival scene in Europe needs young people that are able to organize big choir events. The EJCF has been known for many years for its excellent organization so this is why, in the frame of the European Festival of Youth Choirs Basel, the organisers want to offer young and ambitious project managers from
Europe the opportunity to experience the next festival from May 19 – 24, 2020 with focus on
the organisation, offering an overview of the different festival departments.
Interested applicants are asked to apply by January 30th, 2020, letter of motivation and details on the applicant’s residence, age, language skills, education and experience at the latest to info@ejcf.ch or send it to European Festival of Youth Choirs Basel, c/o Settelen AG, Türkheimerstrasse 17, CH-4055 Basel.
For further information please contact info@ejcf.ch.
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Choralp, the international singing week
Briançon, France | 18-25 July 2020
Organised in partnership with ECA-EC | special price for ECA-EC members
Don't miss the chance to spend a summer week in the paradise of mountain and nature lovers, while also participating at the tenth anniversary of the Briançon Choralp activities. With a clinic choir already familiar with 2020's repertoire to facilitate the learning process of the participants, this year proposes two ateliers:
Atelier 1: Arthur Honegger, King David (Original Version 1921)
Level B | Conducted by Valerie FAYET (FR)
Atelier 2: Rachmaninov Vespers (A Capella)
Level A | Conducted by Marie-Claude REMY (BE)
Deadline for applications: 31st of March 2020.
Find out more on: http://choralp.fr/en/
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European Seminar for choral composers
Aosta, Italy | 19-26 July 2020
Organised in partnership with ECA-EC | special price for ECA-EC members
Organised in partnership with Feniarco, this seminar is addressed to composers and choir conductors with experience in writing and composition, while also offering the chance to only register as a listener. Consisting of individual and group lessons on:
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- original composition for choirs (prof. Paweł Łukaszewski)
- arranging pop for choirs (Alessandro Cadario)
- composing for children's, youth and female choirs (Ivo Antognini)
A laboratory choir will stand at the disposal of the active participants, to perform and test the compositions in progress and also continuous support from the lecturers.
Deadline for applications: 31st of March
Find out more: http://feniarco.it/en/
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NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL CHORAL NETWORK
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In memoriam Tobias Hug
Explorer of the voice and a compassionate teacher, inspiring and conquering the hearts of friends and colleagues around him, being appreciated, loved and now.. missed!
We are sad to share the news that in mid-January, Tobias Hug has lost his battle against cancer.
We were so happy to have him present at several EUROPA CANTAT and EUROPA CANTAT Junior Festivals, where he shared his passion for music with singers and conductors, through workshops he hosted, flashmobs he organised and positivity that he spread all over.
Dear Tobias, may you rest in peace! We will always remember you!
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Looking back to one of the flashmobs he organised in Pecs at the Europa CANTAT.
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In memoriam László Heltay
Lore Auerbach, former Vice-President and Board member of ECA-EC, sent us her personal memories of László Heltay, written in German. Please go to the German translation of this newsletter to read the full text.
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Musica International
The last chance for a Musica Workshop in Germany
Join the last Musica International workshop in Europe:
- Germany, Frankfurt, 6-9 February 2020, organised in collaboration with the association "Archiv Frau und Musik". A dominant feature of this session will be the choral repertoire by female composers and much more. Contact Elisabeth Treydte for more details.
Get in touch: office@musicanet.org
Find out more: https://www.musicanet.org/en/
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NEWS FROM OTHER CULTURAL NETWORKS
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Council Proposal for Creative Europe Budget 'Deeply Worrying'
Heads of the Member States of the European Union met for discussions on the long-term budget in the European Council on 12-13 December. A part of this concerned the proposal of the Finnish Presidency of the Council (from consultation with national leaders) on the budget of the Creative Europe programme to allocate it a budget 20% lower than the proposal of the European Commission and 53% lower than that of the European Parliament.
The Chair of the Culture and Education Committee, Sabine Verheyen (EPP, Germany), issued a statement calling this position “deeply worrying”, reaffirming that an “investment in education, culture and youth is an investment in people and is the very essence of European cooperation”. She urged the Council and the European Council to “go back to the drawing board and think again”.
This position was also voiced by President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, stating that “we - unanimously - will not vote on the European budget, where there is a 20% cut in culture".
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Call for proposals: Music Moves Europe
New Creative Europe call for proposals for Music Moves Europe are out!
Co-creation & co-production, projects should bring together emerging songwriters & performers with different backgrounds to facilitate the development of European music repertoire.
At least 10 innovative and sustainable pilot co-production and co-creation programmes will receive support for their implementation, aimed for songwriters and musicians in the music sector with a clear European added-value in order to facilitate the development of European music repertoire.
Bringing together songwriters and music performers with different nationalities and backgrounds will create a learning environment that nurtures creativity and enhance mutual learning.
Apply until the 30th of March 2020.
Find more details: https://bit.ly/30h1evC
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Calling all young singers!
Each year since 2008, the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen have invited young people from all EU Member States to come up with projects led by young people for young people which actively contribute to the development of Europe. Within that spirit of cooperation, support and shared development, the organisers are keen to broaden the scope of the prize to include more music-related projects. We strongly believe that music and art, in all its forms, is an intrinsic part of society and culture, and can inspire us intellectually and emotionally.
Singers, musicians and artists aged between 16 and 30 who reside in an EU Member State can enter projects for the European Charlemagne Youth Prize. Projects can be submitted individually or, preferably, by groups. They must promote European and international understanding, foster a sense of shared European identity and integration, provide role models for young people living in Europe and offer practical examples of Europeans living together as one community.
- The prize for the best project is EUR 7 500
- The second prize is EUR 5 000
- The third prize is EUR 2 500
One representative of each of the national winners will be invited to Aachen for several days to attend a number of events, including the Charlemagne Youth Prize Award Ceremony, which always takes place two days before Ascension Day, the day on which the prestigious International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen is awarded. The prizes for the best three projects will be presented by the President of the European Parliament and representatives of the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen.
The closing date for the submission of projects >>> 31 January 2020 <<<.
The prize is a unique opportunity for young artists who are keen to showcase their work and their values. It also gives them a chance to become part of an international network based on culture and creativity.
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RAYS OF UNDERWORLD - concert in the cave performed by Zbor sv-. Nikolaja Litija, conducted by Helena Fojkar Zupančič.
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