Participants 2017
Adolf Fredriks Kammarkör (Stoccolma, Svezia)
direttore Pelle Olofson
The Adolf Fredrik Chamber Choir is a mixed choir consisting of high school students who
either are attending or have attended the prestigious music school Adolf Fredriks
musikklasser in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. The choir was founded in 2012 by Pelle
Olofson and Fredrik Winberg, two experienced conductors in the Swedish choir community,
and has in little time become a much appreciated choir.
Pelle Olofson, who will be conducting the choir on this trip, started his musical journey at
the same school as its members and later studied at the Royal College of Music in
Stockholm. After his degree Olofson spent several years working as a successful soloist
before eventually moving on to lead several recognized Swedish choirs among them The
Stockholm Academic Male Chorus, The Stockholm Academic Female Chorus and "Lilla
kören". Olofson was named best conductor at the Florence choir festival in 2013.
The Choir has regular concerts in Stockholm, often in cooperation with the Adolf Fredrik
Boys Choir, and has had a concert tour on Sweden's largest island, Gotland. Aside from the
traditional concerts the choir has also taken on a multitude of new challenges throughout the
years, the latest being its participation in Carmen Moves at the Folkoperan and a Swedish
Lucia-concert in Notre-Dame, Paris. The choir has also been invited to perform at several
ceremonies and events, among them The European figure skating championships (2015), the
Swedish Pharmaceutical Society's Scheele award dinner (2015) and on Holocaust
remembrance day at the Swedish Parliament (2017).
Escolanía de Tomares
(Tomares, Spagna)
direttore María Elena Gauna Ujhelly
The Escolanía de Tomares is a treble choir founded in 2005. This grouping is structured in a children's section (boys and girls between 7 and 14 years old) and female choir (women since 15 years old).
Its repertoire consists of works by several voices belonging to composers of different styles, origin and epoch. Since its formation The Escolanía de Tomares has offered concerts in important enclosures among which we can highlight Seville Cathedral, the Royal Fortresses of Seville, the Church of El Salvador (Seville), the Chicarreros Room (Seville) and the Joaquín Turina Room of Cajasol (Seville), the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, and so on.
In March 2011 The Escolanía de Tomares has shared the stage with "Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint Marc" and since that year it has been included in the Program for Promotion and Cultural Cooperation organised by the Seville Provincial Government bringing its wonderful art to many localities of the Province.
Since 2011 it organises children's choir gatherings attended by groups of great artistic level, as well as the Course of Children's Choirs Conducting destined to train professionals in this speciality which is taught year after year by outstanding figures of the international scene. Basilio Astúlez, Josu Elberdin, Josep Vila, Antonio Hernández Asencio and Esteban Urzelai have been the conductors invited to direct the course.
In November 2012 it was conducted by the prestigious composer and pedagogue Dante Andreo in a concert where the master premiered a series of Spanish traditional Christmas carols in his own arrangements, ordered especially by the Escolanía de Tomares, which have been recorded in a CD and constitutes the first recording work of the choir.
The Escolanía de Tomares has participated in international choral festivals like "Corearte Lyon 2013", "50th International Choral Singing Festival" in Barcelona, offering concerts in the Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Family, the Basilica of Montserrat, and the Palau de la Música Catalana among other venues; "The VII World Peace Choral Festival" in Vienna, acting in the Church of St. Peter, the United Nations headquarters and in the Konzerthaus with the famous Wiener Sängerknaben.
Shangxiang Women's Choir
(Hangzhou, Cina)
direttore Lu Zixin
SHANGXIANG WOMEN'S CHOIR was born in November 2015 in Hangzhou City, China's most famous city for having given birth to Sun Qun, the regent during the Three Kingdoms period, whose sister Sun Shangxiang was a formidable singer.
The choir consists of about 40 non-professional elements all over the age of 40. The choir's motto is "Singing is synonymous of virtue, harmony and fun".
The choir meets every Wednesday at the Zhejiang Conservatory and has participated in various national competitions and radio activities. The choir has been mentioned several times by local tv news and newspapers and is often referred to as one of the most representative choirs in the Chinese choral tradition.
Trio Musicandos & Company
(Firenze, Italia)
direttore Patrizia Parnasi
The Trio Musicandos & Company creates performances of Teatro Canzone, consisting of alternating songs, monologues, or more precisely, singing, reciting and dancing pieces. This artistic genre, launched by Giorgio Gaber in 1970, was recognized and protected by the State in 2003 with the establishment of The "Giorgio Gaber" Foundation, created to edit and protect this artistic genre. The group was born in 2012 and it is composed by the soprano singer Stefania Renieri, the singer, flutist and pianist Patrizia Parnasi and the dancer and cellist Alessandro Ciardini.
The repertoire ranges from Hyspanic-American music since the early 1900s to the re-elaboration of successful soundtracks, from classical to contemporary music (arrangements of famous rock songs of the 1960s).
The Trio has been featured by Joann Berlette, American singer and keyboardist with american-jazz classical-folk repertoire.
The group includes the occasional presence of, prof. Carmelo Mobilia with the clarinet and experiences in the orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro La Scala etc., and Filippo Frittelli, Florentine, with actor-director and reciting voice experiences in musical performances, author of the blog "Underwear Theater". Numerous are the concerts held for private associations in Italy and abroad.
In June 2012, at the Cenacolo del Bigallo in Florence, the Trio performed
for the propaganda at the programming of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Singing in different languages, the Trio also offers themed concerts during dinners and musical events.
Zhongguancun No.3 Primary School Choir
(Pechino, Cina)
direttore Bi Leilei
Zhongguancun No.3 Primary School Choir was foundedin Beijing in 1998. It is an outstanding children's choir with a history of 19 years and over 200 members, who are selected from over 4000 students at school. The members are excellent in study, gifted in singing and fond of choir performing. They are 7 to 12 years old and are divided into two groups, an introductorylevel group composed of 7 to 8 yearsold who learn basic skills of choir singing,and an intermediate level group composed of 9 to 12 years old who have had some singing techniques and performing experiences.
Over the years, the choir has been taught with systematic and scientific training methods, and coached by many specially invited prestigious voice coaches in China.Due to the hard work of the members and the teachers, the choirhas been awarded first prize many times in Beijing and national choir singing competitions for their solid foundations of singing techniques, pure voice and great stage performance. They have been invited to perform in national televisions and are well-received by professionals and teachers in the field.
The excellent voice and vigor of the children have won the choir a bigger stage worldwide. With a great dream and joy in their hearts, the choir haswon the silver award of junior groupin the 3rd Choir Olympics in Bremen, Germany in 2004; and in 2005, it held a special concert in Vienna Golden Hall with the strong support of the local government and embassy. In 2010, it wonthe gold award in the 4th SCL festival in Vienna, and wonthe gold award of folk group in the 1st Jungfrau Music Festival in Switzerland. In 2013, it flew to Los Angeles, USA to participate in the American International Music Festival and won the first prize of junior group.In 2016, the choir participated in the Summer Music Festival, Prague in Czech Republic and was awarded for itscomprehensive singing techniques. As the children become more experienced, they are eager to go further, step on bigger stage and share their happiness and dream with the world. We look forward to even more wonderful performances from the children in the future!
FICF
NEXT FESTIVALS
Florence International Choir & Orchestra Festival
NEWS: FICF experience
12th Edition 22-25 July 2025
13th Edition 28-31 July 2026
14th Edition 27-30 July 2027
Florence Fun & Music Festival
3rd Edition 2-4 July 2024
Florence Gospel Symposium
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