European Grand Prix for Choral Singing
Encyclopedia
The European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (in French, Grand Prix European de Chant Choral, commonly abbreviated as European Choral Grand Prix or GPE) is an annual choral
competition between the winners of six European choral competitions. It was inaugurated in 1989.
Despite its name, the GPE is not limited to European choirs; this is because choirs from any country can join the choral competitions in any of the GPE's member-cities. , one choir from Japan
and two choirs from the United States
have won the GPE, while a choir from the Philippines
has won the GPE twice. In addition, the contest is not limited to adult choirs; two of the grand prize-winning choirs are children's choirs.
As of 2010, two choirs have won the EGP twice: the Philippine Madrigal Singers (1997 and 2007) and APZ Tone Tomšič (2002 and 2008).
As of 2010 only one conductor won the EGP twice: Stojan Kuret (2002 and 2010).
Each individual contest is usually referred to by the name of its host city instead of the competition's official title. The grand prize winners of each contest are automatically eligible to compete at the GPE.
The hosting of each annual GPE competition is rotated among the six member cities. In 2008, the City of Debrecen hosted the GPE; the next installment of the GPE will be held in Tours the 30th May 2009
No choir may win the grand prize in more than one qualifying competition in a single year. For example, if a choir is named the grand prize winner in Arezzo
, it is automatically disqualified to compete in the contests from the five remaining cities for the rest of the year.
There are no specific regulations prohibiting a former finalist (or even a former laureate) from competing in (or even winning again) the GPE more than once. The Philippine Madrigal Singers (laureate of the 1997 GPE) have won the 2006 Florilège Vocal de Tours
, going on to win the Grand Prize in 2007 in Arezzo
, Italy. In the same competition, the Madrigal Singers competed with the Vesna Children's Choir (laureate of the 2000 GPE), who won the grand prize of the 2006 Tolosa competition.
Each competing choir is also required to have the same number of singers it had from the qualifying competition, plus or minus ten percent (10%) of that number. The total number of singers per choir may be a minimum of 12 singers and a maximum of 60 singers regardless of the number of voice sections or groups; this is because the eligibility requirements vary for each of the six qualifying competitions. Because of this, it is possible for mixed-voice choirs to compete directly against all-male and all-female choirs; it is also possible for children's choirs to compete against adult choirs (and even win, as in 2000 and 2001).
The GPE winner is not allowed to compete in any international choral competition, member of the European Grand Prix Association, for two years.
Here are the tally of winners by country : produced the most number of laureates at five (5) choirs. has three (3) laureates, all from Vilnius
) and , all from Ljubljana
. and both have two (2) choirs winning the grand prize. and have one choir winning twice Philippine Madrigal Singers and APZ Tone Tomšič, , , and each have one choir emerging as the GPE laureate.
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
competition between the winners of six European choral competitions. It was inaugurated in 1989.
Despite its name, the GPE is not limited to European choirs; this is because choirs from any country can join the choral competitions in any of the GPE's member-cities. , one choir from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and two choirs from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have won the GPE, while a choir from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
has won the GPE twice. In addition, the contest is not limited to adult choirs; two of the grand prize-winning choirs are children's choirs.
As of 2010, two choirs have won the EGP twice: the Philippine Madrigal Singers (1997 and 2007) and APZ Tone Tomšič (2002 and 2008).
As of 2010 only one conductor won the EGP twice: Stojan Kuret (2002 and 2010).
Organizing committee and member cities
The GPE is organized by the organizing committees of the following choral competitions, from which the GPE contenders are selected:-
- Concorso Polifónico Guido d'Arezzo (International Guido d'Arezzo Polyphonic Contest) - ArezzoArezzoArezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Province of ArezzoProvince of ArezzoThe Province of Arezzo or Arretium is the easternmost province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Arezzo.It has an area of 3,232 km², and a total population of 323,288 in 39 comuni . At June 30, 2005, the main comuni by population are:- External links :...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Bela BartokBéla BartókBéla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
International Choir Competition - DebrecenDebrecenDebrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Hajdú-Bihar countyHajdú-BiharHajdú-Bihar is an administrative county in eastern Hungary, on the border with Romania. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Békés. The capital of Hajdú-Bihar county is Debrecen...
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... - International Choral Competition Maribor - MariborMariborMaribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
, SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... - Certamen Coral de Tolosa (Tolosa Choral Competition) - TolosaTolosa, SpainTolosa is a town and municipality to the south of Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. It is located in a valley of the river Oria and overlooked by Uzturre, a white cross-topped mountain.-Famous people from Tolosa:...
, Basque CountryBasque Country (autonomous community)The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... - Florilège Vocal de Tours (Tours Vocal Competition) - ToursToursTours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, Indre-et-LoireIndre-et-LoireIndre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.-History:Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - International May Choir Competition «Prof. G. Dimitrov» - VarnaVarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, Varna Province, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- Concorso Polifónico Guido d'Arezzo (International Guido d'Arezzo Polyphonic Contest) - Arezzo
Each individual contest is usually referred to by the name of its host city instead of the competition's official title. The grand prize winners of each contest are automatically eligible to compete at the GPE.
The hosting of each annual GPE competition is rotated among the six member cities. In 2008, the City of Debrecen hosted the GPE; the next installment of the GPE will be held in Tours the 30th May 2009
History
The European Grand Prix for Choral Singing was created in 1988 through the initiative of the competitions of AREZZO (Italy), DEBRECEN (Hungary), GORIZIA (Italy) and TOURS (France) Two others have also been associated: VARNA (Bulgaria) in 1989, and TOLOSA (Basque Country/Spain) in 1990. In 2008 Gorizia stepped out of the Association and MARIBOR (Slovenia) join it.Eligibility
As mentioned earlier, the contest is open only to the grand prize winners of the six member European choral competitions in the previous year. In other words, if a choir wins the grand prize in any of the six cities' choral contests, it is eligible for then next year's GPE. Consequently, this also means that, unlike other choral competitions, the GPE does not solicit participants to the contest; no choir may directly apply or audition in order to join the GPE. If an eligible choir backs out, a substitute choir may take its place; as a penalty, any choir that backs out will not be eligible to compete in any of the six qualifying contests for the next year.No choir may win the grand prize in more than one qualifying competition in a single year. For example, if a choir is named the grand prize winner in Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, it is automatically disqualified to compete in the contests from the five remaining cities for the rest of the year.
There are no specific regulations prohibiting a former finalist (or even a former laureate) from competing in (or even winning again) the GPE more than once. The Philippine Madrigal Singers (laureate of the 1997 GPE) have won the 2006 Florilège Vocal de Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, going on to win the Grand Prize in 2007 in Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Italy. In the same competition, the Madrigal Singers competed with the Vesna Children's Choir (laureate of the 2000 GPE), who won the grand prize of the 2006 Tolosa competition.
Repertoire and choir membership
Each competing choir is required to sing in the same group/category as they performed in respective competitions. Choirs are encouraged to perform songs from various era and composers. Songs with accompaniment (by any instrument) are allowed as long as the total length of accompanied songs does not exceed ten (10) minutes. The host city determines the total maximum performance time allowed to each finalist.Each competing choir is also required to have the same number of singers it had from the qualifying competition, plus or minus ten percent (10%) of that number. The total number of singers per choir may be a minimum of 12 singers and a maximum of 60 singers regardless of the number of voice sections or groups; this is because the eligibility requirements vary for each of the six qualifying competitions. Because of this, it is possible for mixed-voice choirs to compete directly against all-male and all-female choirs; it is also possible for children's choirs to compete against adult choirs (and even win, as in 2000 and 2001).
The grand prize winner
The GPE grand prize winner, or laureate, is awarded a diploma, a trophy and additional prizes to be determined by the host city, including a cash prize of up to 4,000 Euros (usually awarded).The GPE winner is not allowed to compete in any international choral competition, member of the European Grand Prix Association, for two years.
List of winners
The following are the list of grand prize winners for the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing.| Year | |Choir | |City of Origin | Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... | ||||
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| 1990 | Debrecen | (postponed) | NA | NA | NA | ||
| 1991 | Tours | Chamber Choir of the Conservatoire | Tadas Sumskas | Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County... |
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| 1992 | Gorizia | St Jacobs Kammerchör | Gary Graden | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
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| 1993 | Varna | Jauna Muzika | Vaclovas Augustinas and Romas Skapas | Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County... |
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| 1994 | Tolosa | The Mats Nilsson Vocal Ensemble | Mats Nilsson | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
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| 1995 | Arezzo | Kallos Choir | Fumiaki Kuriyama | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
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| 1996 | Debrecen | Pro Musica Leanykar | Denes Szabo | Nyiregyhaza Nyíregyháza - Tourist sights :Nyíregyháza also has several museums and exhibitions, showing the city's rich cultural heritage.* Collection of the International Medallion Art and Small Sculpture Creative Community of Nyíregyháza-Sóstó – periodic exhibitions of works of contemporary artists-Twin towns — Sister... |
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| 1997 | Tours | Philippine Madrigal Singers | Andrea Veneracion Andrea Veneracion Andrea Ofilada Veneracion , is a Filipino choral conductor and a recipient of the 1999 National Artist for Music award. She founded the Philippine Madrigal Singers in 1963... |
Quezon City Quezon City Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L... |
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| 1998 | Gorizia | University of Mississippi Concert Singers | Jerry Jordan | Oxford, MS | |||
| 1999 | Varna | Lunds Vocal Ensemble | Ingemar Månsson | Lund Lund -Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund... |
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| 2000 | Tolosa | Vesna Children Choir | Alexander Ponomariov | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
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| 2001 | Debrecen | Magnificat Children Choir | Valeria Szebelledi | Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
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| 2002 | Arezzo | APZ Tone Tomšič | Stojan Kuret | Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... |
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| 2003 | Tours | Kamerinis Koris Brevis | Gintautas Venislovas | Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County... |
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| 2004 | Gorizia | Jauniesu koris "Kamer..." | Maris Sirmais | Riga Riga Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,... |
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| 2005 | Varna | Allmänna Sången | Cecilia Rydinger Alin | Uppsala Uppsala - Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med... |
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| 2006 | Tolosa | The University of Utah Singers | Brady Allred | Salt Lake City | |||
| 2007 | Arezzo | Philippine Madrigal Singers | Mark Anthony Carpio Mark Anthony Carpio Mark Anthony Carpio is a choral conductor who is the present choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Kilyawan Boys Choir and Pansol Choir... |
Quezon City Quezon City Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L... |
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| 2008 | Debrecen | APZ Tone Tomšič | Urša Lah | Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... |
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| 2009 | Tours | Coro Universitario de Mendoza | Silvana Vallesi | Mendoza Mendoza, Argentina Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993... |
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| 2010 | Varna | Vokalna akademija Ljubljana | Stojan Kuret | Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... |
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| 2011 | Tolosa | the Swedish Chamber Choir Swedish Chamber Choir The Swedish Chamber Choir is a Swedish mixed choir based in Göteborg. The choir was formed in 1997 and has been led by British conductor Simon Phipps since the beginning. In recent years the choir has received a lot of attention winning several international competitions.The choir received the... |
Simon Phipps | Göteborg |
Here are the tally of winners by country : produced the most number of laureates at five (5) choirs. has three (3) laureates, all from Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
) and , all from Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
. and both have two (2) choirs winning the grand prize. and have one choir winning twice Philippine Madrigal Singers and APZ Tone Tomšič, , , and each have one choir emerging as the GPE laureate.
External links
- European Grand Prix for Choral Singing - GPE Official home page
- (Archive.org copy) - Wayback Machine (Archive.org) cache of the original GPE Official Home Page,
- Official web sites for each member-city:
- Laureates of the GPE (Official websites, except where noted; arranged by year)
- Jauna Musica (1993)
- Philippine Madrigal Singers (1997 and 2007)
- Lunds Vocal Ensemble (1998)
- University of Mississippi Concert Singers (1998)
- Vesna Children Choir (2000) - information page from another website, not an official web site
- A.P.Z. Tone Tomsic (2002 and 2008)
- The University of Utah Singers (2006)
- Coro Universitario de Mendoza(2009)
- the Swedish Chamber Choir(2011)