The Municipality of Shumen, the Municipal Children’s Complex, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Balkan Choral Forum, the Bulgarian Choral Union and the Bulgarian Union of a Composers invite the Greek Young and Children’s Choirs to participate to the 23rd Dobri Voinikov International Children and Youth Choral Gala Days at Shumen on 2nd to 5th April 2015.
Dobri Voinikov International Children and Youth Choral Gala Days (ICYCGD) were established in 1971 and takes place every two years. The best Children and Youth Choirs from all around the world were hosted throughout its 44 years history. This year’s festival is dedicated to the 140 years since the birth of the patriarch of the Bulgarian choral song Dobri Hristov. Jean-Pierre Van Avermaet, Secretary General of the Federation of Choirs to the European Union, the Slovenian composer and conductor, Ambroz Copi and prof. Theodora Pavlovich will honor the festival with their presence and will participate to the meeting-discussion that will be organized for the choral masters concerning contemporary creative and organization issues focused on Children and Youth Choral Art and its current development trends.
The festival is non-competitive and there will be held creative meetings, concerts, tours, disco meetings with other participants.
The invitation is for all Greek Youth and Children’s choirs and the general regulations of the festival include:
Requirements
The choirs represent a repertoire of their own choice up to 30 minutes of duration.
All the choirs prepare the anthem of the festival “TO A DOBRI VOINIKOV” from Alexander Tanev and “Rodna Pesen” from Dobri Hristov for common performance. The choirs take part in the rehearsals for the preparation of the performance to the common songs, that will be sing each evening and also at the Gala concert.
ICYCGD “Dobri Voinikov” are included in the representative festivals of the Balkan Choral Forum. It is recommended that the choirs’ repertoire should include a song composed by a composer from countries on the Balkan Peninsula.
Each choir will have the opportunity to participate in two or three concerts in Shumen and in nearby towns.
It is recommended the presence of all the choirs during the whole festival.
The participants in the festival receive a diploma for participation, a placard, audio/video recording of their performance and advertisement materials. The organizers hold the copyright of the audio and video recordings done during the festival.
The foundation “Prof. VENETA VICHEVA” established “Prize for conductor’s masteryprof. Veneta Vicheva”. The prize (diploma and statuette) will be deliver for first time in the Choral Gala Days 2015 by the president of the foundation Tomislav Vichev.
Application Procedure
The choirs announce their participation in ХХІІІ ICYCGD “Dobri Voinikov” through a form by 14 February 2015 at the latest sent by e-mail or by post. With this application the choirs declare that they agree with the conditions of the festival. The application should be accompanied by
- Recent audio or video recordings or web-links where the performances of the choir in 2013-2014 could be heard.
- Color photograph of the conductor and the choir in .jpg format.
- Annotation of the choir and the conductor.
By the 15th February 2015 the Festival’s Organizing Committee will select the best choirs and after the selection the participating choirs will receive the scores of the songs for collective performances.
Financial Conditions
- Each choir pays its travelling expenses.
- The organizers will pay the hotel of the first night and breakfast (up to 40 people). The Gala dinner on April 2 and the discotheque costs 5 euro for each person.
- The organizers provide acoustical rehearsal in the day of the concert. Will be planed a concerts in Shumen and in the neighboring towns, like Veliki Preslav, Novi Pazar or Targovishte.
- The guest-choirs are offered a cultural program with a visit to cultural and historical monuments and sights in Shumen and the wider region. Each choir will be accompanied by a host.
- The organizers assist the choirs with organization and their accommodation in “Shumen” hotel and “Madara” hotel with preferential prices.
For further information please check out the festival’s reglament or contact directly Ms. Denica Uzunova.
