European GP for choral Singing 2012

Stojan Kuret, President

graduated from conducting at the Ljubljana Academy of Music and finished piano studies at the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory in Triest, where he lectures since 1983 as professor. While still a student (1974), he founded the youth choir of Glasbena matica Triest, then led the girls’ and mixed choirs, and re-founded the Jacobus Gallus choir in 1991. He received the Gallus commendation in 1984 for exceptional achievements in choral field. He has successfully collaborated with various orchestras as a guest conductor. From the 1992/93 season, he was the artistic leader and conductor of Tone Tomšič Academy Choir in Ljubljana for ten years. With them, as well as Ljubljana Vocal Academy, he achieved enviable international achievements: six grand prizes (Tours 1999, Varna 2001, Gorica 2001, Maribor 2002, Arezzo 2009, Vallée d'Aoste 2011), three performances in the finale for the Grand Prix of Europe, two of which were victorious – Arezzo in 2002 and Varna in 2010. He received the commendation of the City of Ljubljana in 2000, as well as the golden commendation of the Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia for a creative direction of Tone Tomšič Academy Choir. He was the conductor of the RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir from January 2003 to April 2005, led the Slovenian Project Choir in 2003, and, since 2007, the Italian youth choir Coro Giovanile Italiano for two seasons. As a lecturer, he participates at choral seminars, choral festivals at home and abroad, and is a regular jury member at the most important international competitions. On a project basis, he also cooperates with the female vocal ensemble ČarniCe. He is the co-founder, artistic director and conductor of Ljubljana Vocal Academy, established in September 2008. For extraordinary achievements and contribution to choral music on a worldwide scale, he was awarded the prestigious Guidoneum Award 2011 in Arezzo, and the Prešeren Fund Award in 2012 for conducting achievements in choral music in the past two years.