Three outstanding European choirs competed for the “European Grand Prix of Choral Singing” at the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Debrecen this weekend, with the Ukrainian Sophia Chamber Choir winning the competition.
This year, for the first time, the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP), organised by the Kodály Philharmonic Debrecen and founded by six illustrious international choral competitions, was open to three choirs, the Swedish En Kör, the Basque Youth Choir, and the Ukrainian Sophia Chamber Choir, thanks to their previous victories.
The competition, one of the most prestigious choir competitions in Europe, is open only to choirs that have won grand prizes in the past year – in this case, 2021 due to the pandemic – at prestigious competitions in Arezzo (Italy), Debrecen, Maribor (Slovenia), Tolosa (Basque Country, Spain), Tours (France) or Varna (Bulgaria), i.e., the best of the best was selected by the five-member international jury.
The winner of the Grand Prix was the Ukrainian Sophia Chamber Choir, conducted by Oleksandr Samrytsky, who rewarded the jury’s verdict and the audience’s applause with a joyful singing performance.
Competition director Katalin Daróczi said: “Choir movement recovered slowly after the epidemic, but the festivals and competitions already held clearly show that this year the ensembles are engaged with renewed vigour, introducing a new or renewed repertoire. Our aim is that by hosting the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition again next year, Debrecen will once again be home to one of the truly community-building events that are also of the highest artistic standards.”
On behalf of the artistic committee, Zoltán Kocsis-Holper, Chief Conductor of the Kodály Choir Debrecen, emphasized that this year’s EGP also highlighted what a great treasure such an international competition is, when Europe’s most renowned ensembles visit Debrecen and showcase their impressive skills and musicality, giving a prominent role to Hungarian contemporary composers. “It also inspires us, refreshes us, and gives us new goals for our daily work. In addition, this is a time of increased attention to Debrecen, the richness of Hungarian choral music and our cultural treasures. This is a huge value,” said Zoltán Kocsis-Holper.
As Dániel Somogyi-Tóth, Debrecen’s Chief Music Director, said, the city’s cultural event, the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, which has a history of more than half a century, is also seen as a prelude to the reorganization of the competition in 2024, which is planned to alternate with the Zoltán Kodály International Music Competition, Debrecen’s instrumental competition, in a biennial system from next year. The latter will be an oratorio-conducting competition based around the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and the Psalmus Hungaricus, which is also 100 years old. The contest will be held at the end of August this year, with more than 300 applicants from all over the world. Commenting on the quality of this weekend’s competition, the Chief Music Director stressed: Debrecen’s world-class competition with its legendary past proves that not only the capital’s artistic life represents value and excellence in the cultural life of Hungary. Somogyi-Tóth expressed his hope that, in accordance with the repeated statement of intent by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the possibility of a professional work process will indeed be opened up for the preservation and development of high culture in rural Hungary.
