Chorus Review

Registration is now open for the International Chorus Review 2025!

Queens of Qoro Quando (FI), 2019

Chorus Review 2025

The International Chorus Review is the mainstay of the festival, lasting three days. At the concluding concert, the jury will distribute a total of 10,000 € in awards. The jury may also award a Grand Prix to a particularly distinguished choir. All choirs will be sent a diploma with one to three bronze, silver or gold stamps awarded by the jury, together with a written assessment from the jury, by mail after the chorus review.

All choirs performing without electronic amplification are allowed to participate in the Chorus Review, regardless of their type or size. Registration for the Chorus Review will open on 7 January 2025. You will find the rules by choosing the “participate” link below.

Jury 2025

The Chorus Review will have an international five-member jury chaired by Kaija Viitasalo (FI). Other members of the jury:  Jennifer Moir (CA/FI), Jan Schumacher (DE), Jani Sivén (FI), Jānis Ozols (LV).

Kaija Viitasalo

Kaija Viitasalo is known as a visionary in revitalising music for women’s choirs and as an accomplished music educator. She has conducted the KYN women’s choir since autumn 1989, leading the group to the cutting edge of the choral art in Finland and internationally. She received a conductor award at the Klemetti Competition in 2007 and at the Tampere Vocal Music Festival in 2011. She was awarded the golden merit badge of the Women’s Choir Association in 2018 and was named Choir Conductor of the Year by the Finnish Choir Conductors’ Association in 2021. In summer 2022, the board of the Finnish Amateur Musicians’ Association (Sulasol) awarded her the Klemetti Prize. Kaija Viitasalo has been a jury member at choral and composition competitions. She is employed as a Lecturer in Music at the Viikki Teacher Training School of the University of Helsinki.

Jennifer Moir

Jennifer Moir is a Canadian artist and educator living in Finland and working as a Lecturer in the Global Music Department of Sibelius Academy, teaching voice, global choir leadership, global pedagogy and serving as coordinator for the department’s mentoring and well-being studies. For over 20 years, Jennifer conducted community choirs in Canada and taught voice and choral conducting at Western University. She is the founder and artistic director of the Kaleid Choral Festival and co-founder and creative director for the Center for Sound Music Education. Jennifer is invited to serve as guest artist and clinician for festivals, workshops and performances in Europe and North America. She is the artistic director for Open Voice choir and the visiting conductor for Maailmakuoro.

Jānis Ozols

Janis Ozols is one of the well-recognized and promising conductors in Latvia, founder and Artistic Director of the “International Baltic Sea Choir Competition” and also known as one of the former vocal group “Cosmos” singers. Currently, he takes an active role in academic music in Latvia and abroad, being the conductor and artistic director of mixed choir “Maska” and conductor of mixed choir “PaSaulei”. He also often works as a jury member at international choir and singer competitions. Janis is the head conductor of Riga and Jurmala Region choirs. Since 2018 he has been a member of the board of the Latvian Song Festival Foundation and a member of the Latvian National Centre for Culture Council.

Photo: Gatis Rozenfelds

Jan Schumacher

Jan Schumacher (*1980) is Professor and Music Director at Goethe-University, Frankfurt, and director of Frankfurt Singakademie. He is the conductor of the award-winning ensemble Camerata Musica Limburg, which he led in performances at the ACDA National Conference, IFCM World Symposium and America Cantat Festival. Jan regularly teaches courses for choirs, orchestras and conductors and serves as a jury member worldwide. Jan is the artistic director of the German Choir Competition and editor of several choral collections. He currently serves as the vice president of the IFCM.

Jani Sivén

Jani Sivén is an acclaimed conductor, composer and pedagogue. Since 2015, he has served as a full-time lecturer in choral conducting at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. Sivén has worked with over 50 choirs and orchestras and served previously as the artistic director of the Chamber Choir Audite, the Tampere Philharmonic Choir, the Sinfonietta SOI Orchestra, the Helsinki Concordia Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Finnish Choral Institute, the Finnish Boys’ Choir, and the Galante Youth Choir. He has also worked as chorus master of the Helsinki Music Centre Choir.

History

Choirs awarded with three gold stamps
Grex Musicus (Finland)
2023
Grex Musicus (Finland)
Grex Musicus (Finland)
Kipinät (Finland)
2019
Kipinät (Finland)
Queens of Qoro Quando (Finland)
Kipinät (Finland)
Christophorus-Kantorei (Germany)
2017
2 gold stamps (no choirs of three gold stamps)
Christophorus-Kantorei (Germany)
Junges Consortium Berlin (Germany)
Kamarikuoro Värinä (Suomi)
Oriana (Ukraine)
Vaskivuoren lukion kamarikuoro (Finland)
Christophorus-Kantorei (Germany)
Estonian Radio Children’s Choir (Estonia)
2015
Estonian Radio Children’s Choir (Estonia)
Spira Ensemble (Finland)
Turun konservatorion kamarikuoro (Finland)
Grand Prix: Spira Ensemble
Estonian Radio Children’s Choir (Estonia)
Musica-kuoro (Finland)
2013
Musica-kuoro (Finland)
Spigo (Latvia)
Musica-kuoro (Finland)
Aino-kuoro (Finland)
2011
Aino-kuoro (Finland)
Kamarikuoro Kaamos (Finland)
Kauppakorkeakoulun Ylioppilaskunnan Naislaulajat (Finland)
Grand Prix: Kamarikuoro Kaamos
Aino-kuoro (Finland)
Hämäläis-Osakunnan Laulajat (Finland)
2009
Akademiska Sångföreningen (Finland)
Hämäläis-Osakunnan Laulajat (Finland)
Slavonic Tractor (Finland)
Hämäläis-Osakunnan Laulajat (Finland)
Laurus Nuorisokuoro (Suomi)
2007
2 gold stamps (no choirs of three gold stamps):
Vox Aurea (Finland)
Akademiska damkören Lyran (Finland)
Laurus Nuorisokuoro (Finland)
Sibelius-lukion kamarikuoro (Finland)
Laurus Nuorisokuoro (Suomi)

2005

Grex Musicus (Finland)
Grand Prix: Grex Musicus (Finland)

2003

Vox Aurea (Finland)
Tone Tomšic (Slovenia)

2001

Bryansk City Academic Choir (Russia)
Ljubljanski Madrigalisti (Slovenia)
Lyran (Finland)
Philomela (Finland)
Grand Prix: Philomela (Finland)

1999

Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir (Singapore)
Jubilate (Finland)
Grand Prix: Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir (Singapore)

1997

Kampin laulu (Finland)

1995

De La Salle University Chorale (The Philippines)
Grand Prix: De La Salle University Chorale (The Philippines)

1993

Tallinnan Vanhankaupungin poikakuoro (Estonia)
Kiimingin Kiurut (Finland)
Grand Prix: Tallinnan Vanhankaupungin poikakuoro (Estonia)

1991

Museum Musicum (Lithuania)

1987

Collegium Musicum (Poland)

1985

2 gold stamps:
Jubilate (Finland)
Hyvinkään Nuorten Kamarikuoro (Finland)
Semmelweis (Hungary)

1983

Csili (Hungary)
Polyteknikkojen Kamarikuoro (Finland)
Tallinnan Polyteknisen Instituutin Kuoro (Estonia)

1981

Turun Konservatorion Nuorisokuoro (Finland)
Jubilate (Finland)
Norjan Radion Studiokuoro (Norway)

1979

Eestin Tiedeakatemian Naiskuoro (Estonia)
Imatran Seurakunnan Kamarikuoro (Finland)
Jyväskylän Studiokuoro (Finland)
Kouvolan Musiikkiluokkien Kuoro (Finland)
Lahden Kamarikuoro (Finland)

1977

Polyteknikkojen Kuoro (Finland)
Kaleva-kuoro (Estonia)
Miskolcin 6. kansakoulun musiikkiosaston kuoro (Hungary)

1975

Tuiran Kamarikuoro (Finland)