The first edition of the Fosco Corti International Competition for Choir Conductors is organised by Feniarco, Associazione Cori Piemontesi and the G. Verdi Conservatoire of Turin, in partnership with the European Choral Association-Europa Cantat, with the patronage of Piedmont Region and City of Turin, the support of Ministry of Culture and CRT Foundation, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. The event is awarded with the Medal of the President of the Italian Republic.
The competition will be held on 25th, 26th and 27th June 2021 at the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Turin, Via Mazzini 11.
The competition is open to conductors of all world's nationalities. All participants must be
born between 1st November 1980 and 24th June 2003. A maximum number of 20 conductors are admitted to the competition in addition to the winner of the 5th Competition for choir conductors Le mani in suono held in Arezzo on February 2020. Participants will be selected upon scrutinising all the eligible application materials, videos, curriculum vitae and
other paper works.
The competition falls into three parts: preliminary, semi-final and final.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
First part: performance without rehearsing of two pieces out of four, chosen by lot on the evening of Thursday 24th June.
The conductors' performance order will also be drawn on the evening of Thursday 24th June.
Second part: rehearsing of a piece (7 minutes maximun lenght), among four, chosen by lot on the evening of Thursday 24th June. The final performance of the piece is not mandatory. The conductors' performance order will be reversed with respect to the first part.
At the end of the preliminary round, the jury will announce the candidates who will be admitted to the semi-final (maximum of 10 conductors). The candidates' order and the pieces for the semi-final round will then be drawn.
SEMI-FINAL ROUND
First part: rehearsing and performance of a compulsory piece and rehearsing of a piece, among three, chosen by lot on the evening of Friday 25th June. The candidates will have a maximum time of 15 minutes.
Second part: rehearsing and performance of a compulsory piece and rehearsing of a piece, among three, chosen by lot on the evening of Friday 25th June. The candidates will have a maximum time of 15 minutes.
At the end of the semi-final rounds the jury will announce the candidates who will enter the final round (maximum of 5 conductors).
FINAL ROUND
First part: each candidate will have 30 minutes to rehearse the compulsory piece and two other pieces chosen by lot, at the moment, among four proposed. The jury will be present at the rehearsal which, therefore, will be evaluated.
Second part: each candidate must perform the three rehearsed pieces in the first part of the final.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
First part
1. Ivo Antognini (1963) Canticum novum [SSSAAA, ed. Walton Music WW174]
2. Michael Bojesen (1960) Gloria [SSAA, ed. Egtved WHFU84]
3. Pietro Ferrario (1967) Jubilate Deo [SSAA, ed. Carus-Verlag]
4. Arvo Pärt (1935) Zwei Beter [SSAA, ed. Universal Edition UE31297]
♪ Coro Artemusica of Valperga | youth female choir | conductor Debora Bria
Second part
1. Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566-1613) O vos omnes [SATTB, transcr. Feniarco]
2. Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Domine, ne in furore tuo [SATTBB, transcr. Feniarco]
3. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) Ego sum panis vivus [SATB, transcr. Feniarco]
4. Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) Tenebræ factæ sunt [SATB, transcr. Feniarco]
♪ Genova Vocal Ensemble | mixed vocal ensemble |conductor Roberta Paraninfo
SEMI-FINAL ROUND
First part
Compulsory piece:
1. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (choir) from Cantata BWV 12 [SATB, ed. Bärenreiter TP 1012] with continuo
By lottery:
1. William H. Harris (1883-1973) Bring us, O Lord God [SATB+SATB, ed. Novello MUSNOV292347]
2. Dom McDonald (1966), Pacem [SSAATB, ed. Hal Leonard, HL50600844]
3. Healey Willan (1880-1968) How they so softly rest [SSAATTBB, ed. Robertson / The H W Gray Co. CMR 488-(7)]
♪ Coro da camera of Torino | mixed choir | conductor Dario Tabbia
Second part
Compulsory piece:
1. Francesco Corteccia (1502-1571) Ecce vidimus eum [TTTB, transcr. Feniarco]
By lottery:
1. Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Beati mortui [TTBB, ed. Carus-Verlag CV 40.190/20]
2. Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Die Nacht [TTBB, ed. Breitkopf & Härtel ChB 4795]
3. Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Die Rose stand im Tau [TTBBB, ed. Peters EP2527C]
♪ Coenobium vocale | male choir | conductor Maria Dal Bianco
FINAL ROUND
First part
Compulsory piece:
1. Giuseppe Di Bianco (1969) In pace [SSATB, ed. Feniarco]
By lottery:
1. Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) There is an old belief n. 4 da Songs of Farewell [SSATBB, transcr. Feniarco]
2. Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901) Gloria dalla Cantus Missae [SATB+SATB, ed. Carus-Verlag CV 50.109 ]
3. Frank Martin (1890-1974) Sanctus e Benedictus dalla Missa a doppio coro [SATB+SATB, ed. Bärenreiter Verlag BA5419]
4. Knut Nystedt (1915-2014), O Crux [SSAATTBB, ed. Hinshaw Music HMC286]
♪ Zürcher Sing-Akademie (Switzerland) | professional mixed choir | conductor Florian Helgath
Second part
Pieces reharsed during the first part.
► Thursday 24th June 2021
6:30 pm: participants' presentation, draw to establish the order of performance and the pieces for the preliminary round.
► Friday 25th June 2021
PRELIMINARY ROUND
First part
h 9:30 n. 6 candidates
h 11:00 n. 6 candidates
h 12.15 n. 6 candidates
Second part
h 16:00 n. 7 candidates (7 minutes each)
h 17.15 n. 6 candidates (7 minutes each)
h 18:30 n. 6 candidates (7 minutes each)
h 20:00 announcement of the candidates admitted to the semi-final, draw to establish the order of performance and the pieces for the semi-final round
► Saturday 26th June 2021
SEMI-FINAL ROUND
First part
h 10:00 n. 4 candidates (15 minutes each)
h 11:15 n. 4 candidates (15 minutes each)
h 12:30 n. 2 candidates (15 minutes each)
Second part
h 16:00 n. 4 candidates (15 minutes each)
h 17:15 n. 4 candidates (15 minutes each)
h 18:30 n. 2 candidates (15 minutes each)
h 19:45 announcement of the candidates admitted to the final round
► Sunday 27th June 2021
FINAL ROUND
First part
h 10:00 draw to establish the order of performance
h 10:15 n. 3 candidates (30 minutes each)
h 12:15 n. 2 candidates (30 minutes each)
Second part
h 17:00 final and concert
h 19:00 winners' announcement and awards
First prize: € 2.000 and diploma
Second prize: € 1.500 and diploma
Third prize: € 1.000 and diploma
Special prizes:
European Choral Association-Europa Cantat special prize
Best italian conductor special prize: € 500
Grazia Abbà special prize for the youngest conductor admitted to the final: € 500
Final concert audience prize: € 500
The jury of the competition will consist of 5 well-known musicians:
- Justin Doyle (United Kingdom)
- Georg Grün (Germany)
- Ursa Lah (Slovenia)
- Lorenzo Donati (Italy)
- Marco Faelli (Italy)
To join the competition, candidates must complete and send by 31st January 2021 the application form available on this website.
Together with the personal data it is required a music curriculum vitae, a video featuring a candidate's conducting performance of a free choice's piece and the payment of the registration fee.
By the 28th February 2021, the list of candidates admitted to the competition will be announced by a jury consisting of 4 members representing respectively Feniarco, Associazione Cori Piemontesi, G. Verdi Conservatoire of Music and European Choral Association-Europa Cantat.
The official language of the competition is English, in all rounds and contexts.
Participation in the competition implies acceptance of the regulation in each of its articles.
The jury's judgment and decisions are final and binding.
The choirs will have good knowledge of the repertoire.
Every participant must perform from original scores and it is responsibility of the individual participant to use them.