ChoirFest Middle East Returns for 2019 with 2800 singers taking part

The biggest annual choral competition in the region, ChoirFest Middle East, returns to Dubai Opera on Saturday 9th March, as it hosts a Gala Concert with the ‘Choir of the Year’ finalists and winners. Tickets for the Gala Concert are on sale now at www.dubaiopera.com.

Celebrating its 7th year, the annual Dubai festival celebrates the rich diversity of choral music for both adult and student choirs. Higley skilled UAE based choirs as well as invited regional choirs share their amazing music in concerts and competition. This year a staggering 2,500 students from across 55 schools will take part in the workshops and competition.

ChoirFest is excited to welcome various international choral experts to this year’s festival including; the VCM Foundation, a thriving vocal music education charity based in the UK that brings the power of singing to communities around the world, conductor and artistic director Ragnar Rasmussen, composer, conductor and violinist Lorenzo Donati and Baritone/tenor Frank Havrøy.

Shelley Frost, Co-Founder of ChoirFest Middle East and Director of The Fridge said; “We are proud to bring back the biggest festival in the region that celebrates choral music. We are always thrilled to see the passion for choral music increasing year on year.” She added; “Choral music helps to bring communities together, as singers are able to connect through the universal language of music. At ChoirFest it’s important that we celebrate all the communities in the UAE, and showcase the diverse talent from across the region.”

The VCM Foundation’s professional performers, including a member of international award-winning British vocal quintet Apollo5 will lead the Junior and Senior schools sessions from 24th to 28th February in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Ragnar Rasmussen, makes a welcome return to ChoirFest this year for the adult choir sessions and workshops. Rasmussen is the Full Professor of choir conducting at the Music Conservatory, University of Tromso, Norway. He is also the conductor and artistic director of The University Choir Mimas (Tromso), Stavanger Symfoniorkesters Kammerkor (Stavanger, Norway) and international “Utopia & Reality Summer Academy” for young talented choral singers. In the year 2012, he was recognized as a member of the Norwegian Society of Composers. As a composer, Rasmussen has written several a cappella works, vocal and instrumental works and an opera.

He will be joined by Lorenzo Donati, a composer, conductor, and violinist. He has performed at concerts with Coro Giovanile Italiano, Insieme Vocale Vox Cordis and Hesperimenta Vocal Ensemble winning several national and international awards. In 2016, he won with UT Insieme Vocale-Consonante in the 28th edition of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. He has been conducting the professional choir Coro della Cattedrale di Siena Guido Chigi Saracini since 2016. His choral works have been performed by Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Joyfull Company of Londen, Philippine Madrigals Singers, and St. Jakobs Chamber Choir Stockholm.

Baritone/tenor Frank Havrøy will also be joining the choral leaders this year. He joined Nordic Voices in 1997 and works as a freelance singer and composer, on projects of different styles and genres. In 2008, he started as a PhD graduate at the Norwegian Academy of Music with a project that concentrates on the classical, contemporary vocal ensemble. He is also a member of the Norwegian Society of Composers, a professional organisation for working composers.

The competition gives an unmissable opportunity for all participating choirs in the region to demonstrate their passion and dedication to choral excellence. The ‘Choir of The Year’ competition and winners announcement will take place on Friday, 8th March at 4pm at the GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, with free entry for all those interested to attend.

In addition to the winning schools and adult ‘Choir of the Year’, the audience will also get to hear the dynamic range of music from a number of UAE-based choirs as well as 2 regional choirs, including: the Gardenia Choir, Syrian and Mosaica Singers, Jordan who will all have competed for the prestigious title of ‘Choir of The Year'.

Jasper Hope, Chief Executive, Dubai Opera said: “Giving communities from across the Emirates the chance to perform themselves on the Dubai Opera stage is an integral part of our DNA and we are therefore delighted to welcome back the ChoirFest Middle East Gala Concert as part of this wonderful celebration of choral music.”

Gaining in popularity and stature year on year, ChoirFest Middle East is now an eagerly anticipated fixture on the Dubai cultural calendar.

For more information about ChoirFestME visit www.choirfestme.com. For tickets go to: www.dubaiopera.com