1. art and entertainment
2. shows and events
3. classical concert

Welcome to the Nordic Choral Directors’
Conference in Copenhagen and Malmö
October 2nd – 4th, 2015
The year’s big event for choral directors has been expanded to a Nordic choral directors’ conference in
cooperation with all the Nordic choral directors associations. There are a lot of common factors in Nordic choral
life, but there are also differences. At this year’s conference we want to both focus on what brings us together
as well as let ourselves be inspired by our differences. Please read on for a short presentation of the key points
in the programme, which we hope will entice you to register immediately for the event on our website www.
korledare.se. Complete and detailed programme will be available September 2015.
The conference starts in Copenhagen on Friday October 2nd at 1pm and finishes at lunchtime in
Malmö on Sunday October 4th.
Ensemble SYD, photo: Emil Malmborg
Opening
The boards of the choral directors’
associations will welcome everyone
to Copenhagen where the conference
will open with a grand concert
featuring professional choirs Musica
Ficta from Denmark conducted
by Bo Holten and Ensemble SYD
from Sweden conducted by Daniel
Hansson. At the concert, a new
work by Bent Sørensen, especially
written for Ensemble SYD, will be
performed. Music from the 150-year
anniversary of Carl Nielsen will
of course also be included in the
programme.
Ensemble SYD forms a new and
exciting platform for professional
choir singing at Malmö University
in cooperation with The Southern
Choral Centre. Focus will be
placed on the contemporary Nordic
repertoire with an emphasis on key
choral pieces that have placed choral
music on the region’s professional
music scene. Marianne Jelved,
Denmark’s Minister of Culture, is
invited to hold an opening speech.
Children and Song in the
Nordic Countries –
inspiration and future
The EU project VOICE – A
Voice for Vocal Training – has
coordinated representatives from
countries throughout Europe at
two conferences in 2013 and 2015 to
collect knowledge and experiences
of singing with children and young
people. Representatives from the
Nordic countries have been invited
and want to further discuss issues
about how awareness of singing with
Choral Director’s Conference - Key Points Programme
2015 • 2 KÖRLEDAREN 1
children and young people can be
raised and how teaching competence
can be developed in our Nordic
countries.
Contributors
include
Gunnel Fagius, coordinator of the
Child and Song Project, Sweden,
Dorte Bille, Choral Director for
MidtVest Girls Choir and coordinator
for education at The Jutlantic School
of Singing, Denmark, and Ulrika
Bergroth-Plur, General Secretary of
the project Music at Schools, Norway.
Workshop –
Musik by Carl Nielsen
All of 150 years have passed since the
Danish composer Carl Nielsen was
born, and the occasion is colouring
concert life throughout Denmark this
year. In this workshop, Michael Bojesen
will present selected pieces of Nielsen’s
music, arranged for mixed choirs.
Transport to Malmö
After the above events in Copenhagen,
conference participants will be
transported by bus to Malmö Live,
where we will eat dinner and check into
the Clarion Collection Malmö Live Hotel.
There will also be an opportunity to visit
the music exhibition in the Kubenfoajén
before the evening’s concert begins.
Concert – God in Disguise.
Malmö Symphony Orchestra (MSO)
will be opening the doors of their
new concert hall Malmö Live and
inviting us to experience a Nordic
masterpiece: God in Disguise by
Lars-Erik Larsson. The School of
Music in Lund, which was named
after this composer, performs this
work annually and as few have the
chance to make music together with
the MSO and all the alumni students,
we can expect a large choir to be
standing in the new choir gallery.
The Lars-Erik Larsson School of
Music’s choir is conducted by Sofia
Söderberg Eberhard and the concert
will also include music written by
Swedish female composers.
Midnight concert – Petri
Sångare and Carl Adam
Landström
Petri Sångare is a mixed chamber choir
affiliated with the St. Petri Church in
Malmö. The choir’s performance is
characterised by a round and light
choral sound with a strong musical and
lyrical presence.
The choir was founded by artistic
director and conductor Alexander
Einarsson in 2010. The choir is
known for its high ambitions and
the intensive interaction between
the choristers and their conductor.
Attention was brought to the choir
in December 2010 in connection
with the opening of the Malmö City
Tunnel when the choir, accompanied
by an orchestra and soloists,
performed JS Bach’s Juloratorium
at the Malmö Central Station.
In 2014 the choir won two first
prizes at the International Krakow
Choir Festival. Organist CarlAdam
Landström has become well known
for his imaginative improvisations,
and on this late night you will be
able to enjoy his approach to Nordic
melodies.
Repertoire Presentation
New choral music from the
publishers will be presented by
Helene Stureborg and Karin Oldgren,
and the presentation will of course
involve all conference participants
singing together.
Petri sångare, photo: Georg Weiss
2 KÖRLEDAREN 2015 • 2
Choral Director’s Conference - Key Points Programme
Karin Oldgren, photo: Sensus
Helene Stureborg, photo: Erika Berglöf
for the training of a centred and
balanced voice called the “Grain of
the Voice”, which is the ideal base
for musical freedom and technical
opulence in all genres of singing.
Once the “Grain of the Voice” is
established the singer’s personal
sound resonates clearly and the
voice gets a noticeably wider vocal
range and strength. Anne Rosing
is a singing instructor and a vocal
coach. She has worked for 17 years
as a lecturer at the Royal Danish
Academy of Music, the Opera
Academy and at the Music Institute
of Copenhagen. She teaches a large
number of the Danish singing elite.
Morten Vinther,
photo: MinOn Concert Association
Female voices reflect Nordic
music
of cappella groups, such as the Danish
Seminar – The future of choral
life – Nordic youngsters on
the future
A group of youngsters from the
Nordic countries, who are on their
way into the choral world, have
been out investigating choral life,
attending concerts and visiting
choirs. What tips do these youngsters
have to give to established choral
life? Which aspects of choral life
are worth preserving for future
generations? An interesting panel
discussion is promised for everyone
who is curious about what the future
holds.
Schola Cantorums Women’s Choir,
Copenhagen, Carolinae Women’s
Choir Lund, and the Women’s Choir
of the Malmö Academy of Music
perform a concert programme
especially composed for the occasion.
The women’s choirs include both
traditional Nordic music arranged
for female voices as well as a
selection of newly composed music.
The conductors are Sigrid Damsager
Frandsen, Ulrika Emanuelson and
Lena Ekman Frisk.
Workshop – Rhythmic Choir
Morten Vinther became The Real
Group’s new baritone singer in 2010
and has experience from a long line
Vox 11, Postyr Project and VoxNorth
as well as the Nordic improvisation
group Songs of the Moment. This
workshop will give you new ideas
and tools to help develop a choir’s
knowledge of contemporary music.
Morten also gives tips and ideas on
the teaching methods for songs and
how all participants can test ideas
out for themselves.
Workshop – Renaissance
music
Choral director Kari Turunen is one of
Finland’s leading experts in early music
and he has a PhD on the subject.
He is also a member of the vocal
ensemble Lumen Valo that almost
Workshop – Anne Rosing
Method
The Anne Rosing Method is a singing
technique that is based on two
concepts: the “Grain of the Voice” and
the “Singing Body”. It takes the basis
that the body is an instrument on equal
footing with the singing voice.
The “Singing Body” is the foundation
Carolinae Women’s Choir, photo: Eva Sjögren
Choral Director’s Conference - Key Points Programme
2015 • 2 KÖRLEDAREN 3
entirely focuses on music within this
genre. He directs several exceptional
choirs such as the men’s choirs
Akademiska Sångföreningen and
the Spira Ensemble. He is a sought
after teacher of choral conducting
and conductor on many different
occasions and programmes. Kari
Turunen is also the chairperson
of the Finland Choral Director’s
Association. In 2008 he was chosen
as the Choral Director of the Year in
Finland.
Beehive discussion groups
Discussion forums and information in
smaller groups. Choose between the
following six:
1. American Reading Sessions
Experience the latest trends in
American choral music. Kimberly
Dunn Adams, Western Michigan
University (USA) and Dominick
DiOrio, Indiana University Jacobs
School (USA). Two of the American
participants in the International
Conductors
Exchange
Program
between Sweden and USA 2015 will
be presenting choral music that is
primarily aimed at church choirs
and chamber choirs. A lot of the
repertoire is not well-known in the
Nordic countries. Featuring music by,
among others, Abbie Betinis, David
Conte, Dominick DiOrio, Stacey
Gibbs, Michael Gilbertson, David
Lang and Alice Parker. Participants
attending the session will be given,
free of charge, a selection of written
music from the current repertoire.
This workshop is being held in
cooperation with FSK and SWICCO
(Swedish
International
Choral
Centre),
and
ACDA
(American
Choral Directors Association) are
responsible for the programme as
part of the ICEP (International
Conductors
Exchange
Program)
between Sweden and USA 2015.
4 KÖRLEDAREN 2015 • 2
2. Searching for written music on the
internet.
Music publishers inform participants
of new ways you can find the
music you are looking for online.
3: Exchange programme speed dating
Speed
dating
provides
an
opportunity for choral directors to
network with each other regarding
repertoire and choral exchanges. Are
you looking for new repertoire for
your choir? Have you got a favourite
piece you would love to recommend?
Would you like your choir to visit
another choir in another country
or do some kind of exchange? If
any of this sounds interesting, then
this is the perfect event for you.
4: Practice at home – ScorX
A real lift for your choir! ScorX
helps your choristers practice at
home.
Lillemor
Bodin
Carlson
from the Choir Academy gives
instructions
and
information.
5: Communication in Choirs and Song.
AVaCO
is
an
interdisciplinary
research group that has examined
how communication takes place
between singers in vocal ensembles
and between singers and audiences.
The group consists of Sverker
Zadig, Karin Johansson, Ursula
Geisler, Viveka Lyberg Åhlander
and Sara Wilén, some of whom
will be here to present the project.
6: Brazilian Choir Music (with a
Swedish beat)
Dr David Junker from the University
of Brasilia presents Brazilian choral
music and reflects on its similarities
and differences to Nordic choral
traditions. The University of Brasilia
has an exchange programme with
the Örebro Academy of Music and
David is in Sweden for his third
exchange period.
Cecilia Martin Löf,
photo: Mikael Risedal
Concert – Night to Day
Are we good or are we evil? Is life
sad or happy? Enjoyment or pain?
Through music, dance and acrobatic
capers we show a day on Earth with
everything that exists of exuberant
beauty and unabashed egotism. A
New Circus Opera about the double
nature of people, and about the light
and dark sides of life. Palaestra Vocal
Ensemble meets circus artists and
string instrumentalists from Bastard
Barock. Together they promise a
newly created performance on life
and people under the direction
of conductor Cecilia Martin Löf.
Banquet
All conference participants are
invited to a banquet by Malmö City.
During the dinner, scholarships will
be awarded to the Choral Conductor
of the Year and the Children and
Young People’s Choral Conductor of
the Year. The jewel in the crown of
this evening will be the opportunity
to dance to Roger Berg’s Big Band
and their vocal trio. Swing from
the 1930s and 40s is on the menu.
Choral Director’s Conference - Key Points Programme
Workshop – Song!
Sofia Söderberg Eberhard,
photo: Charlotte T Strömwall
The majority of choral directors started
out as choristers, which is perhaps
where they got their passion for singing.
Once the move is made to the other side
of the music stand, many directors stop
singing actively in a choir. This is a great
pity, because we make better choral
directors if we at times ask ourselves
what it is like to sing in a choir. So here
is your chance! Sing along in the Choral
Directors’ Conference Choir where
we can all let ourselves be inspired
by music we can use ourselves while
being conducted by Sofia Söderberg
Eberhard’s
experienced
hand.
Final event – Touché
Representatives from the Nordic
Association of Choral Directors
summarise their strongest impressions
from the conference together with
moderator Martin Martinsson. Danish
jazz choir Touché performs their
arrangement for “Vocal Big Band”
conducted by Jesper Holm as the
closing performance of the conference.
Register for the Nordic Choral Directors’
Conference in Copenhagen/Malmö
October 2nd – 4th, 2015
The registration fee for the conference is SEK 3000. As a member of a Nordic Choral Directors Association you are entitled
to a discount if you register early.
If you register before June 24th, you are entitled to a SEK 1000 discount and only need to pay SEK 2000.
If you register before August 18th, you are entitled to a SEK 500 discount and only need to pay SEK 2500.
Included in the fee are all concerts, seminars, workshops, all meals, morning and afternoon coffee, and transport between
Copenhagen and Malmö on the Friday afternoon.
Register for the conference here: www.korledare.se
Students
There are also discounted fees for students: If you are a student and register before September 11th, you only need to pay
SEK 1000, after this date you need to pay the full fee of SEK 3000.
To contribute to the networking between young choral focused students Southern Choral Center created a group from
Malmo Academy of Music, that will organise Coach surfing. Stay overnight for free october 2-4. A limited number of beds
will be available. If you are interested in this, contact Emma Persson at [email protected].
Welcome to Malmö!
Swedish and Danish Choral Directors Associations
Choral Director’s Conference - Key Points Programme
2015 • 2 KÖRLEDAREN 5