EGP – European Grand Prix for Choral Singing

The European Grand Prix for Choral Singing is an annual choral competition between the winners of six European choral competitions of very high artistic quality. It was created in 1988 through the initiative of the competitions Concorso Polifonico Guido d’Arezzo, Arezzo (Italy), Béla Bartók International Choir Competition Debrecen (Hungary), Concorso C. A. Seghizzi, Gorizia (Italy) and Florilège Vocal de Tours, Tours (France). Two other contests have also become associated in the following years: International May Choir Competition, Varna (Bulgaria) in 1989, and Certamen Coral de Tolosa (Basque Country, Spain) in 1990. In 2008 Gorizia stepped out of the Association and International Choral Competition Maribor (Slovenia) joined in.

Despite its name, the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing is not limited to European choirs; choirs from any country can join the choral competitions in any of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing member-cities. Each year the winners of 6 competitions from the previous year compete at the finals for the EGP Award. Through the years, choirs of excellent quality from all over the world have won the Grand Prix.

2019 (Arezzo, Italy):
The Youth Choir »Kamēr…«, Riga/Latvia
cond. Aivis Greters

2018 (Maribor, Slovenia):
The Resonanz Children’s Choir, Jakarta/Indonesia
cond. Avip Priatna

2017 (Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain):
Ponomarev Children’s Choir »Vesna«, Moskva, Russia
cond. Nadežda Averina

2016 (Varna, Bulgaria):
Ut Insieme Vocale-Consonante, Santa Firmina, Italy
cond. Lorenzo Donatti

2015 (Tours, France):
Syracuse University Choir, Syracuse, NY, USA
cond. John Warren

2014 (Debrecen, Hungary):
Sankt Jacobs Ungdomskör, Stockholm, Sweden
cond. Mikael Wedar

2013 (Arezzo, Italy):
Philippine Madrigal Singers, Quezon City, Philippines
cond. Andrea Veneracion

2012 (Maribor, Slovenia):
Sofia Vokalensemble, Stockholm, Sweden
cond. Bengt Ollén

2011 (Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain):
Svenska Kammarkören, Göteborg, Sweden
cond. Simon Phipps

2010 (Varna, Bulgaria):
VAL – Vokalna akademija Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
cond. Stojan Kuret

2009 (Tours, France):
University Choir of Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
cond. Silvana Vallesi

2008 (Debrecen, Hungary):
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič, Ljubljana, Slovenia
cond. Urša Lah

2007 (Arezzo, Italy):
Philippine Madrigal Singers, Quezon City, Philippines
cond. Mark Anthony Carpio

2006 (Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain):
The University of Utah Singers, Salt Lake City, USA
cond. Brady Allred

2005 (Varna, Bulgaria):
Allmänna Sangen, Uppsala, Sweden
cond. Cecilia Rydinger Alin

2004 (Gorizia, Italy):
The Youth Choir »Kamēr…«, Riga, Latvia
cond. Maris Sirmais

2003 (Tours, France):
Brevis, Vilnius, Lithuania
cond. Gintautas Venislovas

2002 (Arezzo, Italy):
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič, Ljubljana, Slovenia
cond. Stojan Kuret

2001 (Debrecen, Hungary):
Magnificat Children Choir, Budimpešta, Hungary
cond. Valeria Szebelledi

2000 (Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain):
Vesna Children Choir, Moskva, Russia
cond. Aleksander Ponomarev

1999 (Varna, Bulgaria):
Lunds Vocal Ensemble, Lund, Sweden
cond. Ingemar Mansson

1998 (Gorizia, Italy):
University of Mississippi Concert Singers, Oxford, MS, USA
cond. Jerry Jordan

1997 (Tours, France):
Philippine Madrigal Singers, Quezon City, Philippines
cond. Andrea Veneracion

1996 (Debrecen, Hungary):
Pro Musica Leanykar, Nyiregyhaza, Hungary
cond. Denes Szabo

1995 (Arezzo, Italy):
Kallos Choir, Tokio, Japan
cond. Fumiaki Kuriyama

1994 (Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain):
The Mats Nilsson Vocal Ensemble, Stockholm, Sweden
cond. Mats Nilsson

1993 (Varna, Bulgaria):
Jauna Muzika, Vilnius, Lithuania
cond. Vaclovas Augustinas, Romas Skapas

1992 (Gorizia, Italy):
St Jacobs Kammerchör, Stockholm, Sweden
cond. Gary Graden

1991 (Tours, France):
Chamber Choir of the Conservatoire, Vilnius, Lithuania
cond. Tadas Sumskas

1990 (Debrecen, Hungary):
prestavljeno

1989 (Arezzo, Italy):
Kammerkoret Hymnia, Copenhagen, Denmark
cond. Poul Emborg, Fleming Windekilde

2013, Arezzo, Italy:
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič Univerze v Ljubljani
cond. Sebastjan Vrhovnik

2010, Varna, Bulgaria:
VAL – Vokalna akademija Ljubljana
cond. Stojan Kuret
Komorni zbor Ave, Ljubljana
cond. Andraž Hauptman
Šaleški akademski pevski zbor, Velenje
cond. Danica Pirečnik

2009, Tours, France:
Akademski pevski zbor Univerze na Primorskem
cond. Ambrož Čopi

2008, Debrecen, Hungary:
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič Univerze v Ljubljani
cond. Urša Lah

2002, Arezzo, Italy:
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič Univerze v Ljubljani
cond. Stojan Kuret

2000, Tolosa, Basque Country, Spain:
Akademski pevski zbor Tone Tomšič Univerze v Ljubljani
cond. Stojan Kuret

1997, Tours, France:
Komorni zbor Ave, Ljubljana
cond. Andraž Hauptman

Slovenian superlatives:

– On a world-scale as a country, Slovenia has been the most successful in the finals based on number of inhabitants.
– Slovenia is the only country that had three representatives of the five chosen finalists in the same year 2010: VAL – Vokalna akademija Ljubljana, cond. Stojan Kuret, Komorni zbor Ave, Ljubljana, cond. Andraž Hauptman, Šaleški akademski pevski zbor, Velenje, cond. Danica Pirečnik.
– Stojan Kuret is the only conductor who won the GPE award twice (2002 with APZ Tone Tomšič in Arezzo, Italy and in 2010 with male choir VAL – Vokalna akademija Ljubljana in Varna/Bolgaria).
– VAL – Vokalna akademija Ljubljana is the first and only male choir who has received the Grand Prix of Europe.