International Choir Biographies

AD SOLEM, ENGLAND ROBERT BROOKS, CONDUCTOR

Ad Solem, the University of Manchester Chamber Choir, was founded more than 20 years ago and is made up of the best singers from in and around the University of Manchester. Consisting of between 22 and 26 members, the choir is primarily an a capella group, although they also perform with a number of other student and professional ensembles. As one of the only student-run, university-based choirs in Manchester, the choir puts on numerous concerts and performs at functions throughout the year, both within MUMS and independently. Past conductors include founder Greg Beardsell, Marcus Farnsworth and Matthew Hamilton.

Ad Solem performs new works as well as renaissance polyphony and has recently performed a world premiere in the Bridgewater Hall with the Halle Orchestra. It has also performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with the University of Manchester Chamber Orchestra and Victoria’s Requiem, as well as excerpts from Rachmaninov’s Vespers and works by Britten, Lauridsen, Ligeti, Tallis, Pärt, Augustinas, Sisask and Vaughan Williams.

The choir tours regularly and in recent years has visited Poland, Amsterdam and Estonia. It has also broadcast for BBC radio and television and has recorded a number of CDs.

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COIS CLADAIGH, IRELAND (GALWAY) BRENDAN O’CONNOR, CONDUCTOR

Cois Cladaigh was founded in 1982 and last year it celebrated its 30th anniversary. The choir had an ambitious programme of events to mark the occasion and these included commissions by four contemporary European composers and three Irish composers, as well as a series of workshops and concerts, including performances on Clare Island and Inishbo n and a concert with Clermont Chorale.

The choir has taken part in collaborative performances with U.S. volcanologist Professor John Delaney, harpist Kathleen Cannon and uilleann piper Eugene Lamb, at the International Science Conference in July 2012, and worked with the Carl Hession Jazz Trio as part of the Galway Jazz Festival in October 2012. Cois Cladaigh was greatly honoured to be invited to sing at the inauguration of President Michael D. Higgins in November 2011 and subsequently was also invited to sing at the National Day of Commemoration in Dublin in July 2012.

The choir has travelled extensively throughout Europe and the US and takes an active role in commissioning contemporary composers. It has also recorded four CDs.

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NEW DUBLIN VOICES, IRELAND (DUBLIN) BERNIE SHERLOCK, CONDUCTOR

New Dublin Voices, an award-winning chamber choir based in Dublin, Ireland, was founded by conductor Bernie Sherlock in October 2005. NDV, whose concerts range in style and period from the medieval to the contemporary, takes special pleasure in exploring the music of living composers and has given many Irish premières, as well as eight world premières of works by Irish composers. As well as giving concerts, NDV is a regular participant in competitions, both internationally and at home in Ireland.

The singers who make up New Dublin Voices come from many backgrounds but share high levels of experience and musicianship, a commitment to attracting new audiences and, above all, a love of performing excellent choral music.

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OPEN ARTS CHOIR, NORTHERN IRELAND (BELFAST) BEVERLEY WHYTE, CONDUCTOR

The Open Arts Community Choir is an award-winning, dynamic, inclusive choir based in Belfast that demonstrates how people from di erent cultural backgrounds, with and without disabilities, can come together through the medium of song to be positive ambassadors for Northern Ireland.

The OACC was formed in September 2000 with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. In 2008 it reached the nal stages of the BBC’s ‘Last Choir Standing’ competition and in 2010 it was a nalist in RTE’s ‘An Cór’ Irish language choral competition. Since then, the OACC has performed at high-pro le events all over the UK and Ireland, and in August 2012 it travelled to the US to participate in the Milwaukee Irish Fest.

The choir has collaborated with many artists, composers and ensembles, and performs songs in a wide variety of musical styles including classical, pop, jazz, gospel, folk and world music. It has recorded three albums and has been successful in choral festivals throughout the UK.

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POLIFONICA, BELARUS NIKOLAI KASHURO, CONDUCTOR

Polifonica Choir, founded in 2010, is a group of amateur singers. It consists of 20 members who have extensive experience of choral singing. The choir has a diverse repertoire and its members have performed a wide range of choral music genres by classical and contemporary composers.

The choir has participated in many international tours, recently performing a programme of Orthodox church music and folk at the International Choir Festival Apeldoorn Zingt in the Netherlands in June 2012. Polifonica also won second prize in the Competition for Petr Eben at the International Advent Music Festival in Prague in December 2012 and took part in the 59th International Choral Festival in Cork, Ireland in May 2013.

Polifonica has shared its musical gifts on many stages all over Europe, making it a cultural ambassador for Belarus. Its most recent concert tour took place in Legnano, Italy in June 2013 at the world famous Choral Festival La Fabbrica del Canto XXII.

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RUDA POLIFONICO, ITALY FABIANA NORO, CONDUCTOR

The Ruda Polifonico Choir, which dates back to the early 20th century, has given performances throughout the world. Tours include the Philippines, Mongolia, the US, Argentina, Canada, Russia, China and almost all European countries, and it has always been very well received by both the public and critics.

The choir has been successful at many prestigious national and international competitions, including Arezzo, Gorizia, Orvieto, Ravenna, Rome , Tallinn and Vittorio Veneto, where it won four rst prizes in spring 2004, a feat that had never before been achieved by a single choir. In June 2007, the choir was awarded the Grand Prix at the Anton Bruckner International Competition in Linz and it won rst prize in the ‘Polyphony’ and ‘Sacred Music’ categories.

In 2008, at the Choral Olympics in Graz, the choir won three gold medals and an Olympic laurel for the category ‘Male choirs’. To celebrate these achievements, Roman Tico lm lmed a documentary about the choir, which has been broadcast by several European TV networks. In 2010, at the Choral Olympics in Shaoxing (China), the choir also won three gold medals. In 2003, Mrs Fabiana Noro took up the position of conductor of the Ruda Polyphonic Choir.

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VOCI NUOVE, IRELAND (CORK) COLM O’REGAN, CONDUCTOR

Voci Nuove was formed in September 2011 by singing students at the Cork School of Music in Ireland. Conducted by CSM graduate Colm O’Regan, it began performing at concerts around Munster, at venues such as the Curtis Auditorium, Fota House and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Limerick. The choir enlarged its membership in September 2012 and began competing in competitions, winning several categories at Cork’s Feis Maitiú.

In May of this year, the group was awarded second place in the sacred and chamber choir categories of the Cork International Choral Festival and was awarded the John Mannion Trophy for chamber choirs. In spring of this year, Voci Nuove completed its rst series of concerts in Cork, Ennis and Galway entitled Pitches be Crazy.

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