On 4 August, the 29th Béla Bartók International Choir Competition concluded with the grand prize-winning concert and the announcement of the results, with Imusicapella taking the grand prize.
For the 29th time, the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition was held in Debrecen from 1-4 August. Four choirs took part in this year’s Grand Prix competition, with Imusicapella winning the prestigious award.
The International Jury of the 2024 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, led by Lorenzo Donati, and composed of Bernie Sherlock, Professor of Music at the Dublin University of the Arts, Jānis Ozols, Artistic Director of the International Baltic Sea Choir Competition, Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, Professor at the University of Houston and conductor of the Grand Prix Winning Choir of the 2018 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, and Bence Kutrik, Artisjus Prize-winning composer), have awarded the following prizes:
Category B
- Children & Youth Category
- 82 points / silver diploma / Ss. Cyril & Methodios Choir of Thessaloniki, conductor: Elpida Tsami
- 88 points / gold diploma and winner of the category: Joint Chorus Group of Toyama High School and Toyama Higashi High School, conductors: Yuko Kotsubo and Tomomi Hirai
- Free category
- 80 points / silver diploma / Ensemble Coraux, conducted by Caroline Voyat
- 85 points / gold diploma and winner of the category: Ad Libitum Choir, conductor: Andrea Pethőné Kővári
- Sacred category
- 77 points / bronze diploma/ Gruppo Polifonico “Claudio Monteverdi”, conductor: Barbara di Bert
- 84 points / silver diploma and winner of the category: Ensemble Coraux, conductor: Caroline Voyat
Category A
- Children & Youth Category
- 84 points / 2nd prize: Kodály Zoltán Youth Choir, conductor Adrienne Vasné Katona
- Free category
- 82 points / 4th prize / Cor Jove Amics de la Unió, conductor: Marta Dosaiguas
- 87 points / 3rd prize / Imusicapella, conductor: Tristan Caliston Ignacio
- 88 points / 2nd prize / Arcova Vocal Ensemble, conducted by Caroline Voyat
- 90 points / 1st prize / Los Cantantes de Manila, conducted by Darwin Vargas
- Sacred category
- 85 points / 4th prize / Cor Jove Amics de la Union, conducted by Marta Dosaiguas
- 89 points / 3rd prize / Arcova Vocal Ensemble, conductor Caroline Voyat
- 90 points / 2nd prize / Imusicapella, conductor: Tristan Caliston Ignacio
- 93 points / 1st prize / Los Cantantes de Manila, conductor: Darwin Vargas
Special Prizes
- György Gulyás Centenarial Conductor Prize is offered for the conductor whose interpretation of contemporary pieces is outstanding and especially expressive of choral sounding: Yuko Kotsubo és Tomomi Hirai, Joint Chorus Group of Toyama High School and Toyama Higashi High School
- In memoriam Szesztay Zsolt special prize to a Hungarian conductor for the outstanding interpretation: Vasné Katona Adrienne, Zoltán Kodály Youth Mixed Choir
- Special Prize of Papageno Consulting Ltd. for the colourful choice of program: Ad Libitum Choir
- Special Prize of Kontrapunkt Music Publishing Ltd. for the best interpretation of a contemporary piece: Arcova Vocal Ensemble, conductor Caroline Voyat
- Special prize of Editio Musica Budapest for the best interpretation of the compulsory piece: Los Cantantes de Manila, conductor Darwin Vargas
- Special prize of the Association of Hungarian Choirs, Orchestras and Folk Ensembles – KÓTA for the outstanding performance of a choral work in the church music category: Imusicapella, conductor Tristan Caliston Ignacio
The competition and festival started on 1 August with the traditional parade, and the official opening ceremony took place in the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen. The choirs competed in the children’s and youth, sacred and free categories in the Ballroom of Kölcsey Centre in the Church of St. Anne.
Dániel Somogyi-Tóth, Director of the main organiser, Kodály Philharmonic and chief music director of the city of Debrecen, said earlier that he was delighted that „after the success of the Zoltán Kodály International Music Competition, newly launched in 2022, the more than 60-year-old Béla Bartók International Choir Competition will be renewed this year, not only in its structure but also in its image, which, in addition to rethinking the prestige of a major competition with a long tradition, expresses the city’s commitment to quality, cultural innovation and the continued support of young musical talent. ”
Zoltán Kocsis-Holper, President of the Artistic Committee of the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition (members: Ágnes Török and József Nemes), underlined that the “competition was also a celebration of contemporary choral music, where, in addition to high professional standards, professional relationships were built by getting to know each other’s musical cultures.”
The competition also included a gala concert “Vivat, crescat, floreat!” on 2 August, featuring works composed for the competition by Máté Bella, Árpád Barabás, Bence Kutrik, Dániel Dobos and Péter Tóth, performed by the Lautitia Children’s Choir, the Kodály Choir and the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by József Nemes, Zoltán Kocsis-Holper and Zsolt Hamar.
All rounds of the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition can be viewed on the official website of the event. This year’s Béla Bartók International Choir Competition Grand Prize winners will again be invited to compete in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing, which is held in Arezzo, Debrecen, Jurmala, Maribor, Tolosa and Varna, at different venues each year.
Founded in 1961, the Béla Bartók International Choral Competition (BBCC) is one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world. The main organiser, the Kodály Philharmonia Debrecen, is the professional partner of Jeunesses Musicales Hungary, the Hungarian branch of the world’s largest youth music organisation.
In 2025, young trombonists, trumpet and horn players will compete in the Zoltán Kodály International Music Competition, and in 2026, the 30th anniversary of the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition will take place.