COMPETING CONDUCTORS AT THE 1ST I.C.C.C.
QUINTIN BEER, United Kingdom
Quintin Beer studied choral conducting with Patrick Russill at the Royal Academy of Music. He is Director of Music at Saint Peter’s College, Oxford and Saint Cuthbert’s Church Earl’s Court. With many years of experience in Conducting Choir and Orchestra, he has been awarded by the Royal Academy of Music as well as the Dima International Music Competition. Finally, he has collaborated with the Paris Orchestra Choir, with the Transylvania State Philharmonic Choir.
MARTIN HELLBERG, Sweden
Swedish conductor Martin Hellberg has studied Choir and Orchestra Conducting. Ηe has participated in many choir festivals and competitions as a singer, producer, artistic director and conductor from 2008 until today, with the most important moment being the conductor of the Uppsala Choir in 2019.
ALEXANDROS KOMNAS, Hellas
Alexandros Komnas was born in 1996, he graduated as an excellent student from the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University with a specialization in “Choir Conducting”, alongside Professor Dimitris Ktistakis. At the same time she studied Acting with Natalia Kapodistria and Classical Song with Rosa Poulimenou and Ira Zerva. At the end of his studies he started working as a pianist accompanist and assistant conductor in the Rosarte Children and Youth Choir, under the direction of Rozi Mastrosava. He has performed numerous concerts in Greece and abroad as a pianist, soloist, choir and conductor (ERT Choir, The Phantom of the Opera etc), while since February 2020 he is a member of the professional vocal ensemble 8tetto.
OLEXANDRA POLYTSIA, Ukraine
Olexandra Polytsia has studied choral conducting, music management and early music. She has been conducting choirs throughout Europe since 2012 and she has been teaching and singing at the University of Graz in Austria since 2018.
MATTHIAS SCHOBERWALTER, Austria
Matthias Schoberwalter was born in 1997 in Vienna. He has studied church music, conducting choir and orchestra. In 2015 he founded the choir Alea, he has participated in many choir festivals, concerts, opera and operetta performances. An important moment of his career was the concert that took place in the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna in 2015.
TAMAS SZARKA, Hungary
Tamas Szarka was born in 1994 in Hungary. He studied orchestral and choral conducting at the Budapest Academy of Music. In 2018 he won the first prize at the National Competition of Young Conductors in Budapest while in 2021 he was an official guest at the International Competition of Choir Directors.
ARTURS ŠVARCBAHS, Latvia
Originally from Latvia, Artūrs Švarcbahs is 22 years old, he has many years of experience as a conductor and chorister, with degrees in Choir Conducting and Classical Singing. One of his most important works as a conductor is the audiovisual work “Dabas Skanas” 2020.
KRISTAPS SOLOVJOVS, Latvia
Kristaps Solovjovs was born in 2000 at Latvia, he has studied choir singer at Riga’s Cathedral Choir School and he is currently studying Choir Conductor at the Latvian Academy of Music of Jāzeps Vītols. He has taken part in many choirs in Latvia as singer and musical conductor. In 2021, he won the 3rd place at the 1st Viacheslav Palkin International Choral Conductors Competition.
HYUNJU KWON, S.Korea
Hyunju Kwon was born in Republic of Korea. She studied Choral Conducting at the National Korean University of Arts and at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany. Αfterwards she finished her master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at State University of Music and Performing Arts at Mannheim in Germany. She has taken part in various choirs in Germany as Conductor, Chorist and Soloist. In 2021 she won the 1st prize for choral conductors, at the Fosco Corti International Competition at Turn of Italy.
GINTARE BARISAITE – MITKUVIENE, Lithuania
Gintare Barisaite – Mitkuviene was born in 1994, she began her professional musical path at the National M. K. Ciurlionis School of Art in 2001, where she studied piano and choral conduction for 12 years. She continued her studies of choral conducting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. Gintare has taken part at many choir competitions all over Europe and she has performed with various famous singers and musicians. In 2019 at the 5th International Choir Festival and Competition of Lithuanian Music Patriarch Juozas Naujalis, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Juozas Naujalis, she received the diploma of the best conductor of the competition.