Helena Fojkar Zupančič, president

Helena Fojkar Zupančič
received her soloist singing and musical education at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, and perfected her skills at numerous soloist singing and conducting seminars. She works at the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium in Ljubljana as choral conductor and voice teacher. She conducts St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir of the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium and St. Nicholas Mixed Choir, both devoted to classical repertoire, as well as a 90-member (Re)Mixed Choir of the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium, that sings gospel, pop, and musical. Among her recent noteworthy achievements are: absolute victories at the EBU competition Let the Peoples Sing 2009 in Oslo and Summa cum Laude 2013 in Vienna, and participation at the European Festival of Youth Choirs Basel with St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir, as well as victories at Venezia in Musica 2011, Maasmechelen 2013, and gold plaque at Naša pesem 2012 national competition with St. Nicholas Mixed Choir. Her choirs excell in perfected vocal technique, in-depth knowledge of musical material, rich sound, and original interpretations. From 2004 to 2009, she led the Slovenian Children’s Choir, has since then performed and recorded as conductor with the project-based RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir, and also appeared with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra last year. She leades seminars for conductors and participates in juries. Commissioning and performing novelties by Slovene composers on a regular basis, she recorded several CDs.

Valérie Fayet

graduated in choral conducting at the Conservatoire in Lyon. She was a scholar of the Menuhin Foundation and completed her studies in orchestral conducting in 1987. In 1991, she won the prize with the Girls' Choir from Mans at the International Choral Competition Florilège Vocal de Tours. Valérie Fayet was the assistant conductor with Bernard Tétu at the Conservatoire in Lyon and the artistic director of the Chamber Choir from Caen. In September 2004, she took over the position of the professor of choral singing, choral conducting and the artistic director of the Symphonic orchestra at the Conservatoire in Nantes. She also conducts the professional vocal ensemble Humana Vox. Her repertoire consists of works such as Cantigas (Ohana), Stabat mater (Poulenc), Lazare and the Resurrection (Schubert), Requiem (Mozart) and Die Schöpfung (Haydn). During the years 2005 and 2008 she was the artistic leader of the National Choir À Cœur Joie, with whom show on 6 prizes at the International Choral Competition Guido d'Arezzo in Italy in 2007, including the award for the best conductor.

Wolfram Lattke

is a tenor and former member of the world famous St. Thomas Boys Choir. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig with Hans-Joachim Beyer. His repertoire includes ensemble and Lieder literature of all periods, the choral works of J.S. Bach, and oratorios of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, but also 20th-century music. He has performed throughout Europe, North and Central America, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and the Middle East, collaborating with leading ensembles and conductors such as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kölner Akademie, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Hilliard Ensemble, Riccardo Chailly, Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Joshua Rifkin. Festival appearances include the Europäische Musikfest Stuttgart, MusicFest Vancouver and Bachwoche Ansbach. Wolfram Lattke is a member of the award-winning vocal ensemble A
marcord.

Cecilia Rydinger Alin

is a leading figure in Swedish musical life, who encompasses conducting, teaching and music administrative leadership in her wide range of activities and is a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music. She served as professor in orchestral conducting and is now Vice-Chancellor at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. From 1988-2009, she was the artistic director of the mixed choir Allmänna Sången, having won a number of international competitions, including the 2005 European Choral Grand Prix in Varna, Bulgaria. She was the principal conductor of the Wermland Opera in Karlstad from 1994-1998, and has also conducted opera productions at the Royal Swedish Opera and Denmark’s Jyske Opera, as well as highly regarded Wagner productions at the Dalhalla limestone quarry. Since 2008, she has been the conductor and artistic director of Orphei Drängar, posing an incredibly exciting assignment and a great challenge. They have made several international tours and CD recordings together, and recently a full length CD with sacred master pieces for male choir. A much desired jury member at international choir competitions, she has also been teaching at international master classes in choir conducting, including sessions with Professor Eric Ericson at the 2006 International Choral Festival in Lund. In 2005, she received the medal ‘Litteris et Artibus’ by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf for her contribution to Swedish musical life, and was named 2009 Choir Conductor of the Year in Sweden.

Sebastjan Vrhovnik

began studying musical education at the Ljubljana Academy of Music in 2004 after finishing the Conservarory for Music and Ballet (general theory, 1997; singing, 2003). He graduated with distinction under the mentorship of ass. prof. Marko Vatovec, and obtained his master degree with distinction at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts in the class of Johannes Prinz. Since 2014, he is the assistant professor for choral conducting at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, and leads different choral conducting workshops at home and abroad. He is also active as jury member at national and international reviews and competitions. Currently the conductor of Obala Koper mixed choir, he has collaborated as guest conductor with RTV Slovenia Chamber Choir, Maribor Opera Choir, women’s vocal group ČarniCe, Slovenian Children’s Choir, and Slovenian Chamber Choir. He conducted the Cantemus mixed choir from Kamnik, Ecce vocal ensemble, Teachers’ Choir of Slovenia »Emil Adamič«, Mixed choir of Glasbena matica Ljubljana, and Tone Tomšič Academic Choir of the University of Ljubljana, with which he recorded several CDs and received numerous awards at competitions. His concert work with choir is marked by excellent knowledge of the vocal and particular musicality, his interpretations by special mellowness and alloy of choral sound, whereas his repertoire of chosen compositions introduces freshness and new professional challenges to Slovenian space.