Application 2025

MAILING ADDRESS

JSKD – Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities
18th International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor 2025
Štefanova 5, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Phone: +386 (2) 23 42 117 / +386 (1) 24 10 506 / +386 (1) 24 10 525
E: matija.varl@jskd.si
mihela.jagodic@jskd.si
W: www.gallusmaribor.si

ORGANISERS

● JSKD – Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities and its regional office in Maribor
● Municipality of Maribor
● Organising Committee of the Competition
● Union of Cultural Societies of Slovenia
● Union of Cultural Societies of Maribor

FOR NON-EUROPEAN CHOIRS AND VOCAL GROUPS

OPTIONAL PRE-APLICATION FORM (NOT COPULSORY!)

Until 3 January 2025 – Due to timely planning of the tour, Non-European choirs may at any time until 3 January 2025 prior to the application deadline, send a pre-application, based on which the artistic council will evaluate whether the group fulfils the expected level to participate in the competition, and classify it in the narrower (but not final!) selection. Final classifying in the competition will be confirmed in March 2025 based on the sent complete application and after comparison with other applying choirs. To pre-apply, ensembles have to fill the electronic PRE-APPLICATION FORM and insert the following material:

1) CV of the choir,

2) audio or video recording of at least three compositions, recorded from 1 January 2024 (recordings must include a cappella performance of at least three different periods/styles).

Ensembles will be notified of their classifying in the narrower selection in 2 weeks, after which they must send a complete application in the deadline, as stated below under the section APPLICATION.

FOR ALL CHOIRS AND VOCAL GROUPS

Application deadline:
Friday, 14 March 2025 – deadline for filing online application with required material.

Announcement of the selected choirs:
Friday, 21 March 2025

Admission fee:
June 2025 – choirs will receive invoice for the admission fee to be paid by 20 June 2025.

Scores and eventual changes of the program:
Friday, 8 September 2025 – by that day, the participants have to send eventual changes of the program and the original scores or copies with permision for the jury members.

1. PARTICIPANTS

18th International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor 2025 is intended for vocal groups, female, male and mixed choirs.

Only amateur vocal groups and choirs can participate at the competition.

Conductor and eventual instrumentalists can be professional musicians.

The number of singers is limited: vocal group must have at least 4 and at most 11 singers, a choir must have at least 12 and at most 48 singers.
Number of participating choirs is limited: at most 4 vocal groups and 8 choirs can participate at the competition.

Artistic Council of the Competition (appointed by the Organising Committee) selects participating choirs according to their artistic merits, inherent in the application materials.

2. APPLICATION MATERIALS

Choirs must precisely fill-in the ONLINE APPLICATION FORM, and insert the application material in the online application form:

1) recordings of the choir (made no earlier than 1 January 2024), consisting of a cappella music of 3 different periods/styles (for example: one from the renaissance period, one romantic and one contemporary composition),

2) an interesting photography of the choir in high resolution to be used for promotional purposes and in competition booklet,

3) one clearly readable score of each composition, entered in the competition program, where the only exception is the score of compulsory Slovenian composition.

Selected choirs will be obliged to send 5 additional copies of all competing compositions for the members of the Jury (photocopies are allowed only with Publisher’s written approval – or composer’s written approval for manuscripts) till Friday, 5 September 2025. After the competition, these will be returned to the applicants.

THE COURSE OF THE COMPETITION

17th International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor 2023 is divided into 1 non-competitive and 3 competitive events.

A. NON-COMPETITIVE EVENT:
Opening Concert:
● Each choir must present musical program with stylistic integrity, characteristic for its native country (we are looking for original concept with folk or vocal jazz, pop, gospel, early music, or any other typical music or style from your native country).
● Performance in national costumes in case of folk-song program and singing by heart is much desired.
● The entire duration of the selected compositions should not exceed 6 minutes of music.
● Selected compositions cannot be repeated in the competitive programs.

B. COMPETITIVE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF 3 PROGRAMS:
1. Compulsory Program
● Composition by Jacobus Handl Gallus of choir’s own choice (ref. ed. Monumenta Artis Musicae Sloveniae – MAMS SAZU, Ljubljana),
Additional information on Gallus compositions: mihela.jagodic@jskd.si.
Licenced copies of the selected piece available from muz_inst@zrc-sazu.si
● Composition from the Romantic period of choir’s own choice, written until 1920.
● New Slovenian Folk Song Arrangementby Andrej Makor, for score, available from 20 January 2025 contact mihela.jagodic@jskd.si.
● Program must be sung a cappella. Entire duration of all 3 compositions must not exceed 12 minutes of music.
● Compulsory program must be performed in the prescribed order.

2. Free Program
● Choirs perform original compositions in this category (folk songs and their arrangements are not allowed!).
● Program must be sung a cappella.
● Program must comprise at least 2 compositions.
● Compositions from the compulsory program are not allowed in the free program.
● Entire duration of all compositions must be in the range of min. 10 to max. 15 minutes of music.

3. Grand Prix of the 18th International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor 2025
At most 5 vocal groups/choirs with the highest average score from the compulsory and the free program will qualify for the Grand Prix Competition. The sequence of choirs will be drawn by lot in public.
● Program must comprise at least 3 compositions.
● Only one composition can be repeated from the compulsory or free program.
● Only one composition can be a folksong.
● Only one composition can have instrumental accompaniment, if it is prescribed in the original score of the composition.
● Entire duration of all compositions must be in the range of min. 10 to max. 15 minutes of music.

Piano will be available for eventual accompaniment. Organiser is not obligated to provide any other instrument.

1. COMPOSITION OF THE JURY

Jury will comprise 5 renowned members – experts in choral music: 2 from Slovenia and 3 from abroad.

2. WORK OF THE JURY

Each member of the jury will evaluate all competitive performances of each choir with a numeric mark (the highest mark is 100).
Jury will evaluate:
a) Technical prowess of each choir.
b) Difficulty of the selected program.
c) Artistic persuasiveness of the performance.

3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS

List of vocal groups/choirs that will be allowed to compete at the Grand Prix Competition will be made known at most one hour after the completion of the free program.
The results of the competitive performances will only be officially announced at the final ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
All Jury’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
All competing choirs will receive a written appraisal of their performances by each member of the Jury.

V. FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

1. APPLICATION FEE

Choirs must pay the application fee: €200.00 per group and an additional €15.00 per each of its active singer.

2. ACCOMODATION, MEALS AND TRAVEL COSTS

– Up to 42 members of the Vocal Group/Choir (its singers, conductor and instrumentalists) have free meals on Friday (dinner), Saturday (lunch and dinner), Sunday (snack and closing banquet). The group pays the full costs of additional participants.

– The organiser contributes for the accommodation of the participating active singers, conductor and instrumentalists (maximum 42 persons) € 32,00 per person during the competition. Accommodation is available in a student dormitory or hotel. Payment of the contribution will be made on account of the accommodation providers. The organiser’s contribution for accommodation may be higher, depending on the number of participants accepted.

– All travel expenses are covered by the participating choirs themselves.

– All expenses due to premature arrival or postponed departure are covered by the individual choirs themselves.

3. RECORDING RIGHTS

By applying, the choir allows the competition organiser to:
– take audio and video recordings and photos of the performances;
– publish these materials on its page, social media, video channels, in promo materials, TV and radio broadcasts.

The choir may publish the video recordings and photographs taken by the organiser on their page, social media, video channels, in promo materials, TV and radio broadcasts.

VI. LEGAL MATTERS

1. Organiser is not responsible for any eventual mishap, loss, theft, or similar event during a choir’s stay in Maribor.
2. By applying, the choir confirms to arrange international health insurance for all their members during the competition.
3. Slovenian and English are the official languages at the competition.
4. Original Slovenian text will be given preference in a case of dispute.
5. Course of competition and its realisation is fully covered in the Regulations of the 18th International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor 2025 that can be obtained from the organiser.
6. Organising Committee of the 18th International Choral Competition Gallus – Maribor 2025 approved this document at its 3rd session.
7. Organising Committee has the exclusive competence to interpret this document.
8. Choirs confirm their approval of above-mentioned rules by sending a filled-in application form.
9. Organising Committee retains the right to alter the rules of competition in the case of unexpected vis major. In such a case, it must give written notice to all participating choirs.

MORE INFORMATION:

Organsational matters:
Email: matija.varl@jskd.si
Phone: +386 (2) 23 42 117

Artistic matters:
Email: mihela.jagodic@jskd.si
Phone: +386 (1) 24 10 525