ZBOROVSTVO

5. MEDNARODNO TEKMOVANJE ZA MLADE ZBOROVSKE DIRIGENTE
26.-30. marec 2009, Ljubljana, Slovenija
5TH INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR YOUNG CHORAL CONDUCTORS
MARCH 26-30, 2009, LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

SPREJETI / COMPETITORS

Leopoldo Angulo Crespo, Ekvador / Ecuador

(1979)

Leopoldo Angulo Crespo

Leopoldo Eduardo Angulo Crespo began his musical studies at the Conservatorio Superior Nacional de Música, Quito, Ecuador, where he obtained the titles of Técnico and Tecnólogo Superior en Piano under the tutelage of Professor Anjela Roushanián and the title of Técnico en Canto with Professor Nancy Yánez.
He continues his musical studies in the field of choral conducting with Professors Ana Maria Raga and Maria Adela Alvarado and orchestral conducting with professors Alfredo Rugeles and Rodolfo Sanglimbeni at the Musician Studies Universitary Institute (IUDEM) in the city of Caracas.
He is a conductor of male ensemble Cantus Firmus Voces Oscuras, childrens' choir Flor Roffle and of the Youth Choir Vinicio Adames.
In the city of Caracas he has worked as a piano teacher at the Jose Antonio Calcano foundation, as an accompanist of the Childrens´ Choir of the Humboldt College and of Soloists Group of the Fundacion del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela (FESNOJIV- Jose Antonio Abreu ).

Florian Benfer, Nemčija / Germany

(1984)

Florian Benfer, Nemčija / Germany

Florian Benfer grew up surrounded by music and he decided early on to become a musician. Besides singing in choirs he began with playing piano, violoncello and later organ. He studied church music and choral conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig. Since 2008, Florian has been studying at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he is taking Masters Degrees in both choral conducting with Professor Anders Eby and organ performance with Nils Larsson.
As a singer, Florian is a member of several different vocal ensembles, such as Kammerchor Stuttgart, the World Youth Choir and the Kölner Vokalsolisten, which specialises in contemporary music. He also sang with the Lucerne Festival Academy Vocalists in 2006, under the direction of Daniel Reuss and Pierre Boulez, and was a member of the Gewandhaus Chor Leipzig, before taking over as interims choir director in 2006/07.
Florian Benfer is conductor of the Norrland Nations chamber choir in Uppsala, Sweden, and he works as a guest conductor with several other ensembles, including the chamber choir Josquin des Prez in Leipzig and the Uppsala Vokalensemble. In 2008 he founded the vocal and instrumental ensemble Camerata c.o.l.m.a.r. to realize unknown German Renaissance and Baroque repertoire in order to share his passion for this music. He is a recipient of the

Andreas Felber, Švica / Switzerland

(1983)

Andreas Felber, Švica / Switzerland

Andreas Felber was born in Lucerne, Switzerland. During schooling he was a member of the Boys Choir "Luzerner Sängerknaben" where he got his first singing lessons. In 2007 he finished his studies in conducting and singing at the Lucerne School of Music with distinction. Andreas Felber is a musical director of the Swiss choir "molto cantabile" with which he won several prizes at international choral competitions, including 2nd place in the category "Polyphony" at the renowned International Choral Festival in Tolosa, Spain, the 2nd place in the category "Kunstlied" and the audience award at the International Choir Competition in Spittal an der Drau, Austria. Moreover he is the conductor of a concert choir at his hometown. With both choirs he performed large choral works like M. Duruflé's "Requiem" or "mater aeterna", a first performance of B. Apermont.
His work as a conductor led him also to the opera. At the "Luzerner Theater" he had the possibility to work as assistant conductor for several productions including J. Massenet's "Werther". In Summer 2008 he became the assistant conductor of the famous Swiss musical "Heidi".

Jerica Gregorc Bukovec, Slovenija / Slovenia

(1980)

Jerica Gregorc Bukovec, Slovenija / Slovenia

Jerica Gregorc Bukovec studied at the Academy of music in Ljubljana which she successfully concluded in 2003. She continued her studies in Malmö, Sweden under Dan-Olof Stenlund. After one year abroad she continued her studies at the Royal Academy of music in Stockholm where she studied post-graduate choral conducting in Anders Eby's class and successfully concluded it in May 2008. She now has special one year study in Stockholm, advanced studies in choral conducting which she will conclude in June with the final concert.

She has been attending various seminars at home as well as abroad. She was an active participant in all of them and was chosen to perform at all the concluding events.
She was conducting several choirs until now. She was very active in Slovenia and is now a choir conductor of two choirs in Stockholm - KFUM chamber choir and male choir Stockholm Studentangarna. She is also working with a group of 16 professional singers at school. She is often invited as a guest conductor with different choirs.
She won special scholarship award of Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien in Stockholm in the category of choral and orchestra conductors for three times.

Maud Hamon, Francija / France

(1984)

Maud Hamon, Francija / France

Maud Hamon's musical education began at a very early age. She grew up playing the recorder and the viola and discovered choral conducting while studying music at the University of Rennes. She went on to study choral conducting and vocal performance at the Conservatoire National de Region in Rennes, and was a member of several choirs, among them the Rennes Opera Choir. She was encouraged to continue in this way when she met Roland Hayrabédian, Claire Marchand, Valérie Fayet, Régine Théodoresco, Pierre Mervant during courses and masterclasses of vocal technique, choral and orchestra conducting. After receiving her bachelor's degree in music and her DEM, she entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Danse of Lyon in September 2005 to study choral conducting with Bernard Tetu, Nicole Corti and Karine Locatelli. In 2008, she spent half a year in Hochschule für Musik Hans Eisler in Berlin in order to enrich her musical knowledge.
Maud Hamon is the artistic director and conductor of Eole, a choir of 16 singers she founded in 2006, while training young singers in Centre de la Voix in Lyon and at the Cathedral childrens'choir. She has also been a choral conductor at special events, such as the Berlioz festival in August 2007. She is a member of Epsilon, a vocal ensemble dedicated to the music of the 16th and 17th Century, which she founded in 2006, and of Calliope women's choir (conducted by Régine Théodoresco) and Britten choir (conducted by Nicole Corti).

Marcis Imants, Latvija / Latvia

(1986)

Marcis Imants, Latvija / Latvia

Marcis Imants has been studying choral conducting at Jazeps Vitols Academy of Music in Janis Lindenbers conducting class since 2005.
In year 2004 he took part in the 3rd International Competition for Young Choir Directors in Vienna where he won a special prize of the German choral association. Later on he participated at Teodors Reiters Choral Conducting Contest in Latvia and won the 1st prize. At the 3rd International Choir Conducting Competition "Towards Polyphony" in Poland he was the winner of the 2nd prize. In October 2006 he competed at Eric Ericson Award in Sweden and got to the semi-finals. Later on he participated in 4th International Competition for young Choral Conductors in memoriam Zoltan Kodaly where he won the 3rd prize.
He was chosen as one of 14 candidates from 224 applicants to participate with Bamberg Symphony Orchestra organized by Gustav Mahler Orchestra Conducting Competition in April 2007 and took semi-finals as one out of 171 applicants in Dmitris Mitropoulos Orchestra Conducting Competition Greece (1).

Dani Juris, Finska / Finland

(1984)

Dani Juris, Finska / Finland

Dani Juris became involved with choral music very early in his childhood, when he started singing in the Helsinki Cathedral Boys' Choir Cantores Minores. Later on, his vocal ensemble gained various prizes at the renowned German competition Jugend Musiziert.
Dani Juris studies choral conducting under the guidance of Professor Matti Hyökki at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. His previous conducting teachers include Jani Sivén at the Helsinki Metropolia University and Professor Johannes Prinz at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria. He has also studied harp since 2003.
In his hometown Helsinki, he conducts the Kaamos Chamber Choir, which he founded in 2007. He also works with various choirs and ensembles at the Helsinki Adult Education Centre. Having studied piano on a professional level, Juris works frequently as conductor's assistant and rehearsal pianist in the Helsinki area as well as in Austria.

Sooyeon Lee, Južna Koreja / South Korea

(1979)

Sooyeon Lee, Južna Koreja / South Korea

Sooyeon Lee, a native Korean, earned Master of Music in choral conducting at the Yale School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music. She also received a Bachelor of Music degree from Yon-sei University in Church music with emphasis in Choral Conducting and Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College in organ performance. She studied choral conducting and sacred music at the same time. She was awarded the first prize at the Graduate Student Conducting Competition in the ACDA national convention, Miami in 2007 and was also selected as a semi-finalist at the same competition in Los Angeles in 2005. She is currently working as a music director at Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church, assistant conductor and accompanist at Hillhouse Opera Company, accompanist at New Haven Oratorio Choir and Orchestra and at the faculty at the Elm City Girls' Choir and the United Girls' Choir in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Janis Liepins, Latvija / Latvia

(1988)

Janis Liepins, Latvija / Latvia

Janis Liepins studied in Riga Dom choir school from 1995 until 2008 and is now at his first year studies at Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music. His plan is to pursue his career as a professional conductor. He won the first prizes at the Teodors Reiters International Competition for Choral Conductors in 2007 and Choral Conductors Competition "Towards Polyphony" in Poland in 2008. He was also awarded the prize for Achievements in international competitions and local choral competitions 2007 by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
In 2005/06 Liepins had his first experience as a choirmaster with the mixed choir Jumis. Since 2006 he has been assistant conductor of the choir Kamer... . He has conducted Kamer... on choir's tours abroad - the Julius Berger festival Eckelshausen Music Days, as well as concerts in Turkey (Istanbul and Ankara) in honour of the 89th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia. He is one of the founders of the Latvian Association of Choral Conductors, which was established in 2008.

Andreas Meier, Švica/Switzerland

(1980)

Andreas Meier, Švica/Switzerland

Andreas Meier was born in Basle, Switzerland. He started his musical education with the Knabenkantorei Basel. After college, he studied singing with Professor Michel Brodard, and school music II, both at the Musikhochschule Luzern (Lucerne School of Music). After this, he studied conducting with Professor Dr. Alois Koch. He took also lessons with Margret Honig, Bernard Haitink, Johannes Prinz, Anders Eby, Frieder Bernius, Georg Grün an Ralf Weikert.
On the opera stage, he sang among other parts Aristeo in Orfeo ed Euridice by J.J. Fux (Swiss premiere). For two seasons, he sang the part of Alfred in Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus.
Andreas Meier conducts several choirs and teaches at the Kantonsschule (6th-form college) in Baden.

Takeshi Mizumoto, Japonska / Japan

(1981)

Takeshi Mizumoto, Japonska / Japan

Takeshi Mizumoto, is a Japanese choral conductor. He started conducting at the age of 20 as a student conductor of Erde, mixed choir at Kobe University, Japan. In 2002, he founded the Noma Mixed Choir, which won the first prize at the 56th Kansai Choral Competition while Takashi Mizumoto was elected as the Most Valuable Student Conductor. The same choir also won the silver prize at the 53rd Japan Choral Competition in 2003. He was the principal conductor of the ensemble Le Vent Elegante from 2004 until 2006 and is the principal conductor of the Noma Mixed Choir and assistant conductor of Les Cinquantes.

In 2006, Takashi Mizumoto obtained a Master of Arts degree from the University of Kobe. He then moved to London and studied choral conducting with Paul Spicer, orchestral conducting with Peter Stark at the Royal College of Music. He was also the choral director of the Telasbaad Vocal Ensemble and was invited for the special concert at National Gallery in London with Ikemen Bach Ensemble in 2008. Although he enjoys his busy carrier as a choral conductor, his musical interest also branches piano and singing. He holds many concerts as a pianist and a singer in Japan, Greece, France, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Aleksandra Samokhvalova, Rusija / Russia

(1981)

Aleksandra Samokhvalova, Rusija / Russia

Aleksandra Samokhvalova began her studies at the choir conducting department at Gnessin State Musical College in 1997. After graduating from college in 2001 she entered Moscow Conservatory's choral conducting department in order to improve herself as a professional conductor. She is now in the third year of postgraduate studies.
As a student of Moscow Conservatory, she joined one of the best boys choirs in Russia - Moscow Boys Choir and worked there until 2008 as assistant conductor. At present, she is a second conductor with boys choir Debut.
During her studies she was also a conductor in Novosibirsk Opera, and a singer at New Siberian Singers and Chamber choir of Moscow Conservatory. Furthermore, she took part in European Masterclasses (Eric Ericson Masterclass, Holland; Masterclass in Toneheim Music School, Norway) and in Russian conducting competitions, where she was the winner of one of the prizes.

Jan Schumacher, Nemčija / Germany

(1980)

Jan Schumacher, Nemčija / Germany

Jan Schumacher got his first musical education at Limburg Boys Choir and at the Rhineland-Palatinate state youth choir (LJC). He majored in music education and German language in Mainz and choral conducting with Professor Wolfgang Schäfer in Frankfurt.
He gained experience in courses with Sylvain Cambreling, Robert Sund and Georg Grün, as well as while being Assistant to the conducting faculty at the Hochschule für Musik Mainz.
He is a conductor of the male ensemble Camerata Musica Limburg. With this choir he won first prizes at international choral competitions in Tours, Maasmechelen and Bremen and recorded several compact discs. The choir is media partner of Deutschlandradio Kultur.
Since 2003 he is a sessional conductor of the university choir at the Darmstadt Technische Universität, with which he mainly performs symphonic repertoire.
Since 2007 he has worked regularly with the LJC as a guest conductor. He has been the rehearsals conductor for conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Prionnsias O'Duinn, Michael Hofstetter, Caspar Richter and Peter Ruzicka.

Matteo Valbusa, Italija / Italy

(1981)

Matteo Valbusa, Italija / Italy

Matteo Valbusa started studying piano at nine years old and choral conducting in 1999 under the guidance of professor Signorini. Graduated at the University of Verona, he is a final year student in choral conducting with professor Scattolin at the Conservatoire of Bologna. He attended masterclasses in conducting with renowned conductors in Italy and abroad. In 2008 he studied at the Sibelius Academy of Helsinki (Finland), under the guidance of Professor Matti Hyökki.
He is the conductor of the choir Insieme Corale Ecclesia Nova of Bosco Chiesanuova (Verona), the male voices choir La Stele of Rovere Veronese and Accademia San Giorgio Choir and Orchestra (Verona). With these groups he holds a lot of concerts and he won many prizes in national and international competitions. Further more, Matteo Valbusa received the special prize as best conductor at the International Competition in Azzano Decimo (Pordenone, Italy) and at the Festival della Coralita Veneta (Verona, October 2008).
In 2006 he founded CCV - Verona Chamber Choir, composed of professional singers.
In 2007 he worked at the first modern performance of Requiem by Francesco Canneti.
He is a founder and director of Voce! - Festival della Musica Corale, International choral music festival in Bosco Chiesanuova.

Stefan Vanselow, Nemčija / Germany

(1980)

Stefan Vanselow, Nemčija / Germany

Stefan Vanselow was a member of boys' choir Dresdner Kreuzchor. Subsequently, he studied choral conducting and church music in Berlin and London with Jörg-Peter Weigle and Patrick Russill. He is the artistic director of chamber choirs Cantamus Dresden and Voces novae and chamber orchestras Ensemble K and Collegium K (on period instruments) as well as organist at Kreuzkirche in Berlin.
Stefan Vanselow has worked with many professional and semi-professional ensembles, including RIAS-Kammerchor, MDR Radio Chorus Leipzig and Berlin Radio Chorus. He has also participated in masterclasses with Eric Ericson, Anders Eby, Hellmuth Rilling, Simon Halsey, Stephen Cleobury, Andrew Parrott and others. His comprehensive musical interests range from historical performance practice to contemporary music. Furthermore, he has done research in psychological aspects of conducting.

Bryan Zaros, ZDA / USA

Bryan Zaros, ZDA / USA

Originally from New York, American conductor Bryan Zaros is a 2005 honorary graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. As a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus for six years, Bryan was a performer on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House throughout his childhood and frequently sang with singers Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Cecilia Bartoli among others. Featured as a soloist on national and international television and radio including Live from Lincoln Center and The Chevron Texaco Metropolitan Opera Radio Broadcasts, Bryan has also been a televised guest artist on the popular NBC Today Show. At sixteen, he was appointed the assistant Choirmaster of the Church of the Transfiguration in New York City and became the assistant conductor of the oldest Men and Boy's choir in the United States of America. Recent conducting engagements have included invitations with choirs in England, Italy and Switzerland. Last month, he was invited to guest conduct the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Canada's premiere choral ensemble, in a concert featuring songs of romance and nature. Bryan is currently a graduate fellow in conducting at the University of Michigan, the Assistant Conductor of The Boychoir of Ann Arbor, and the Director of Music at the First Presbyterian Church of Ypsilanti, Michigan.