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| International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf |
| Location | Marktoberdorf, Bavaria, Germany |
| Established | 1989 |
| Frequency | biennial |
| Genre | choral music |
International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf is a biennial international choral contest held in Marktoberdorf, Bavaria, Germany that gathers chamber choirs, conductors, composers and choral researchers from around the world. The competition is part of a broader festival of vocal music which attracts ensembles linked to institutions such as BBC Singers, Gächinger Kantorei, Tallinn Chamber Choir, Nederlandse Bachvereniging and University of Cambridge choral traditions. It has become a platform where repertoires ranging from Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Johann Sebastian Bach to Olivier Messiaen and Arvo Pärt are performed, compared, and recorded.
The contest originated in 1989 under cultural initiatives associated with the Bavarian state government and local authorities in Marktoberdorf, with early leadership drawing on networks connected to the Bachfest Leipzig, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Salzburg Festival and the European Choral Association. Initial editions emphasized Renaissance polyphony and Baroque liturgical works associated with Tomás Luis de Victoria and Heinrich Schütz, before expanding in the 1990s to include contemporary choral works by composers such as John Cage, György Ligeti, Luciano Berio and Sofia Gubaidulina. During the 2000s the competition increasingly intersected with institutions like the International Society for Contemporary Music and the Royal College of Music, reflecting trends also visible at the Donaueschingen Festival and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
The event is organized by a municipal cultural office working together with regional bodies comparable to the Bayerisches Staatsministerium der Finanzen, academic partners such as Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and international partners resembling European Broadcasting Union members. Participating choirs are typically chamber ensembles of 12–40 singers representing conservatories like the Royal Academy of Music, choral centers such as the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and professional groups akin to the Netherlands Chamber Choir. The competition follows a multi-round format similar to the ARD International Music Competition and includes preliminary, semifinal and final stages, often complemented by workshops led by figures from institutions like Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music.
Repertoire requirements cover historical periods represented by names such as Josquin des Prez, Orlando di Lasso, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Anton Bruckner, Igor Stravinsky and Paul Hindemith. Contemporary and commissioned works have included pieces by Helmut Lachenmann, Krzysztof Penderecki, James MacMillan, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Unsuk Chin. Categories often mirror those at festivals like the International Rostrum of Composers with distinctions for early music, romantic repertoire, a cappella contemporary pieces, and interpretation of folk-inspired works tied to traditions from Estonia, Spain, Italy, Russia and South Africa.
Juries are composed of conductors, composers and musicologists with profiles comparable to Simon Halsey, Eric Ericson, Marek Janowski, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Tõnu Kaljuste, drawn from institutions like the Royal Northern College of Music, Sibelius Academy, Conservatoire de Paris and the Mozarteum University Salzburg. Evaluation criteria emphasize intonation, ensemble blend, stylistic authenticity, diction in languages such as Latin, German, Italian, Estonian and Russian, and fidelity to scores by composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Fryderyk Chopin (arrangements), Gustav Mahler (choral movements) and Benjamin Britten. Contemporary pieces are judged on interpretation and realization of extended techniques popularized by Helmuth Rilling and Peter Phillips-led ensembles.
Winners and laureates often include ensembles of the stature of Eric Whitacre Singers (project ensembles), Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno-style groups, and university choirs similar to the University of Cambridge Choir. Standout performances have featured repertoire by Arvo Pärt and Górecki, premieres of commissioned works by Kaija Saariaho and Veljo Tormis-inspired programs, and interpreted masterclasses led by conductors associated with Philharmonia Chorus, Orfeo Choir and the Monteverdi Choir. Recordings emerging from prizewinning appearances have been released on labels akin to Deutsche Grammophon, ECM Records, Harmonia Mundi and Naxos Records.
The competition has influenced programming at choral festivals such as the A Cappella Festival Riga, Choir of the World events, and national contests like the Florilège Vocal de Tours. It has contributed to dissemination of contemporary choral literature through collaborations with publishers analogous to Faber Music, Boosey & Hawkes, Schott Music and Carus-Verlag. Alumni conductors and singers have moved to positions at choirs including Staatskapelle Dresden, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and institutions like the Royal Danish Academy of Music, while repertoire trends observed at Marktoberdorf have echoed in seasons at the Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw and Wigmore Hall.
Events are held in venues in Marktoberdorf and nearby towns, with acoustic and logistical models comparable to the Schwäbische Alb concert settings, and often hosted in churches and halls similar to St. Martin's Church (Marktoberdorf), municipal theaters, and university auditoria. The competition runs alongside a festival program that features masterclasses, composer talks and concerts, attracting delegates from organizations like the International Federation for Choral Music, broadcasters such as Deutschlandfunk Kultur and music press outlets similar to Gramophone and Choir & Organ.
Category:Choral competitions Category:Music festivals in Bavaria