Songbridge Events

I: 5th IFCM WORLD SYMPOSIUM ON CHORAL MUSIC

Rotterdam, the Netherlands 7 – 14 July, 1999

Coro de Niños y Jovenes Ars Nova, Argentina
dir. Ana Beatriz de Briones
World premiere:
Eduardo Alonso Crespo: Pachamama (Mother Earth)

Gondwana Voices, Australia
dir. Lyn Williams
World premiere:
Stephen Leek: Our New Dream Time

Tapiola Choir, Finland
dir. Kari Ala-Pöllänen
World premiere:
Olli Kortekengas: Ikikaiku (Eternal Echo)

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

II: AMERICA CANTAT III        

Caracas, Venezuela  14 – 22 April, 2000

Des Moines Children’s Choir, USA
dir. Eugene Wilson
World premiere:
Juan-Tony Guzmán: Songbridge

Cantoria Juvenil and Equalis, Venezuela
dir. Cristian Grases and Ana Maria Raga
World premiere:
Alberto Grau: Opereta Ecologica

Coro de Niños y Jovenes Ars Nova, Argentina
dir. Ana Beatriz de Briones
(replacing the cancellation of a Brazilian choir)
World premiere:
Eduardo Alonso Crespo: Pachamama (Mother Earth)

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

Additionally
Joint 500 voices of 20 children’s choirs, dir. Erkki Pohjola

III: EUROPA CANTAT XIV

Nevers, France 21 – 30 July, 2000

Carmina Slovenica, Slovenia
dir. Karmina Silec
World premiere:
Lojze Lebic: Upanje (Hope)

Konan Girls’ Choir, Japan
dir. Keiichi Mori
World premiere:
Michiko Nakazawa: Oath for Peace

Riga Girls’ Choir, Latvia

dir. Gunta Malevica
World premiere:
Selga Mence: Atviesu tautas vardi

La Cigale de Lyon, France
dir. Anne-Marie Cabut
World premiere:
Marcel-Joseph Godard: Sous les couleurs de l’arc-en-ciel (Under the Colours of the Rainbow)

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

IV: THE WORLD OF CHILDREN’S CHOIRS        

Vancouver, BC,Canada 18 – 22 March, 2001

Moran Choir, Israel
dir. Naomi Faran
World premiere:
Moshe Zorman: Shining light at the end of the road

Odawara Children’s Choir, Japan
dir. Taeko Kuwabara
World premiere:
Teruaki Suzuki: ROEI-FU

Tygerberg Children’s Choir, South Africa
dir. Hendrik Loock
World premiere:
Hendrik Hofmeyer: Tu Pauperum Refugium

Newfoundland Symphony Youth Choir, Canada
dir. Susan Knight
World premiere:
Stephen Hatfield: One Drop

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

V: INTERNATIONAL CHORAL ESPOO FESTIVAL

Espoo, Finland 4 – 9 June, 2002

Cantoria Juvenil, Venezuela
dir. Cristian Grases
World premiere:
Alberto Grau and Cristian Grases: Pata Pa’ca

World Vision Korea Children’s Choir, South Korea
dir. Hak Won Yoon
World premiere:
Hyun Chul Lee: Dona Nobis Pacem

Tapiola Choir, Finland
dir. Kari Ala-Pöllänen
World premiere:
Jarmo Saari: Hope hopes

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

Additionally

- Juvenalia Choir, Espoo, Finland, dir. Matti Järvinen
- Serena Choir, Espoo, Finland, dir. Kjerstin Sikström
- Veräjäpelto Choir, Espoo, Finland, dir. Johan Perälahti

VI: FESTIVAL 500 SHARING THE VOICES

St.John’s Newfoundland, Canada 29 June – 6 July, 2003

Romanian Radio Children’s Choir, Romania
dir. Eugenia Vacarescu and Voicu Popescu
World premiere:
Dan Buciu: Games for the Peace of the Planet

Tallinn Boys Choir, Estonia

dir. Lydia Rahula and Tomi Rahula
World premiere:
Mart Siimer: Kõik mis oli

Toronto Children’s Chorus, Canada
dir. Jean Ashwoth-Bartle
World premiere:
Christos Hatzis: Light

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

VII: EUROPA CANTAT XV

Barcelona, Spain 18 – 27 July, 2003

Children’s Choir of Polygros, Greece
dir. Sotiris Alevizos
World premiere:
George-Emmanuel Lazaridis: Tou Ai Lia (The Day of Sant Ilias)

Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, Estonia
dir. Tiia-Ester Loitme
World premiere:
Urmas Sisask: Gloria in Excelsis Deo op.90, Benedicamus Patrem

La Choraline and Choeur de Jeunes de La Monnaie, Belgium
dir. Benoit Giaux
World premiere:
Kurt Bikkembergs: Da pacem, Domine

Cor del SCIC (Secretariat de Corals Infantils de Catalunya), Spain
dir. Jaume Sala
World premiere:
Salvador Brotons: La Sardana Universal

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola
 

VIII: AMERICA CANTAT IV

Mexico City, Mexico 5 – 14 April, 2004

Gondwana Voices, Australia
dir. Lyn Williams

World premiere:
Dan Walker: The Arafura

Niños Cantores de Mendoza, Argentina

dir. Juana Mauro
World premiere:
Marcelo Fernandez Mauro: Paihuen mapu

Niños y Jovenes Cantores de la Escuela Nacional de Musica, Mexico
dir. Patricia Morales
World premiere:
Arturo Vallenzuela: Ronda

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola

Additionally
Gran Coro Infantil de America Cantat IV
dir. Emilio Hernandez, Antonio Ugalde and Erkki Pohjola

IX: 2005 WORLD CHILDREN’S CHOIR FESTIVAL

Hong Kong 10 – 14 July, 2005
Repeated in Guangzhou, China 16 July 2005

Saskatoon Children’s Choir, Canada
dir. Phoebe Voigts
World premiere:
Peter Tiefenbach: Out of the Stars

Tapiola Choir, Finland
dir. Kari Ala-Pöllänen
World premiere:

Seppo Pohjola: Terve kuu (Hail the Moon)

University of Pretoria Jacaranda Children’s Choir, South Africa
dir. Bea van der Sandt
World premiere:
Niel van der Watt: Sing Namakwaland, Sing

China Hand-in-Hand Children’s Choir, China
dir. Richard Tsang and Meng Dapeng
World premiere:
Richard Tsang: Sky Bridge

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola
 

X: EUROPA CANTAT XVI

Mainz, Germany 29 July – 2 August 2006
Especially for boys’ choirs

Jãzeps Medins Music School Boys’ Choir, Latvia
dir. Romans Vanags
World premiere:
Ugis Praulins: Dindaru Dandaru

Sofia Boys’ Choir, Bulgaria
dir. Adriana Blagoeva
World premiere:
Filip Pavlov: Bulgarian Ceremonies

Chorknaben Uetersen, Germany
dir. Hans-Joachim Lustig
World premiere:
Jens Marggraf: Avis akvasas ka

Artistic Director: Cristian Grases, Venezuela/USA

XI: LUND INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

Lund, Sweden 1 – 8 October 2006

Krasnoyarsk City Children’s Choir, Russia
dir. Ludmilla Stebenkova
World premiere:
Oleg Leonidovich Prostitov: Cantata – Here we are to live

Moran Choir, Israel
dir. Naomi Faran
World premiere:
Haim Permont: Yisra Veyishma (He that will Fight and Follow)

Koritsia, Sweden
dir. Karin Fagius
World premiere:
Ulrika Emanuelsson: Människa (Human Being)

Artistic Director: Erkki Pohjola
 

XII: AMERICA CANTAT V

La Habana, Cuba 1 -7 April, 2007

Coro Schola Cantorum de Mexico, Mexico
dir. Alfredo Mendoza
World premiere:
Leonardo Coral: Tras la ventana

Coro Nacional Infantil, Cuba
dir. Delfina Acay Esinosa
World premiere:
Guido López-Gavilán: Cantoccata

Artistic Director: Cristian Grases
 

XIII: EUROPEAN FESTIVAL OF YOUTH CHOIRS

Basel, Switzerland 15 – 20 May, 2007

Kinderchor Köktem, Kasachstan
dir. Natalia Chechel
World premiere:
Vladimir Ossipov: Eptegiler Elinde (World of Tales)

Tapiola Choir, Finland
dir. Kari Ala-Pöllänen
World premiere:
Mia Makaroff: Kilvanlaulajat (Rival Singers)

Mädchenkantorei Basel, Switzerland
dir. Christoph Huldi
World premiere:
David Wohnlich: Regenbogentanz

Artistic Director: Lyn Williams, Australia

XIV: SZCZECIN INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL

Szczecin, Poland 4 – 10 May, 2008

Hamilton Children’s Choir, Canada
dir. Zimfira Poloz
World premiere:
Stephen Hatfield: Creation

Moran Choir, Israel
dir. Naomi Faran
World premiere:
Ella Milch-Sheriff: Ballad on three Prophets

Children’s Choir Don Dilidon, Poland
dir. Dariusz Dyczewski
World premiere:
Marek Jasinski: Dona Nobis Pacem – Alleluia

Artistic Director: Chifuru Matsubara, Japan

XV: 8TH IFCM WORLD SYMPOSIUM ON CHORAL MUSIC

Copenhagen 19 – 26 July, 2008

Magnificat Children’s Choir, Hungary

dir. Valéria Szebellédi
World premiere:
Levente Gyöngyösi: Gloria Kajoniensis

Shallaway, Newfoundland,Canada

dir. Susan Knight
World premiere:
Christos Hatzis: Water

Shenzen Middle School Choir, China

dir. Mei Liu
World premiere:
Ho Sung Chi: Rivers to the Sea

Danchurch National Choir, Denmark

dir. Ole Faurschou
World premiere:
Bo Gunge: Kringsatt av fiender

Artistic Director: Kari Ala-Pöllänen, Finland

XVI: WAKAYMA CHILDREN’S CHOIR FESTIVAL

Wakayma, Japan 6 – 11 August, 2008

Bloemfontein Children’s Choir, South Africa

dir. Huibrie Verster
World premiere:
Christo Janse van Rensburg: Tumelo le Kgostso

Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir, China

dir. Mingjing Xie
World premiere:
Guang Ping Cao: Golden Gate

Wolfratshauser Children’s Choir, Germany
dir. Yoshihisa Matthias Kinoshita
World premiere:
Wolfram Buchenberg: Silere et audire

Wakayama Children’s Choir, Japan

dir. Haruhiko Numamaru
World premiere:
Takatomi Nobunaga: Kinokuni Koenomari

Artistic Director: Kari Ala-Pöllänen

XVII: FESTIVAL VOCI IN MOVIMENTO

Torino, Italy 26 June – 4 July, 2011

Cor Infantil Sant Cugat, Catalunya, Spain

dir. Elisenda Carrasco
World premiere:
Jordi Doménech: Elogi de l’escriba

Efroni Choir, Israel

dir.Maya Shavit
World premiere:
Eran Dinur: Hagada

Piccoli Cantori di Torino, Italy

dir. Carlo Pavese
World premiere:
Elena Camoletto: Arcobaleno

Artistic Director: Sanna Valvanne, Finland/USA

XVIII: AMERICA CANTAT VIII

Nassau, The Bahamas 20-26 August, 2016

Toronto Children’s Choir, Canada
dir. Elise Bradley
World premiere:
Lori-Anne Dolloff: Heart-Story

National Children’s Choir of Bahamas

dir. Patricia Bazard
World premiere:
Audrey Dean-Wright: Bahama Islands of Song

Artistic Director: Cristian Grases

XIX: INTERNATIONAL TAMPERE VOCAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Tampere, Finland 4-11 June, 2017

Indonesian Children&Youth Choir – Cordana, Indonesia
dir. Aida Swenson
World premiere:
Budi Susanto Yohanes: Rampai Aceh

Young People’s Chorus of New York City, USA
dir. Francisco J. Núñez
World premiere:
Michael Gordon: To Sing

Vox Aurea, Finland
dir. Sanna Salminen
World premiere:
Pekka Kostiainen: The Bridge of Song

Artistic Director:  Kari Ala-Pöllänen

XX: 11th EUROPEAN FESTIVAL OF YOUTH CHOIRS

”Swiss Songbridge”
Basel, Switzerland 8-13 May, 2018

Vocalensemble Incantanti Graubünden
dir. Christian Klucker
World premiere:
Gion Andrea Casanova: Himni al sulegl - Tras la neiv - El vast horizont

Kammerchor des Gymnasiums Muttenz Baselland
dir. Jürg Siegrist
World premiere:
Stefan Furter: S Freikunsärt

Choeur de Jeunes Zik’Zag Fribourg
dir. Jocelyne Crausaz
World premiere:
Fabien Volery: Fribourg

Artistic Director:  Kari Ala-Pöllänen