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ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR – JONATHAN WILLCOCKS
 The
festival organisers are delighted to welcome the acclaimed
choral conductor and composer, Jonathan Willcocks
as Artistic Director. Developing from his
early experience as a chorister at King’s
College and as a choral scholar at Trinity
College Cambridge, Jonathan Willcocks’s career
has embraced a broad spectrum of conducting work and
he is also prominent as a widely published composer
with his works performed and appreciated both in UK
and in USA. For 20 years he was Director of the Junior
Academy, at the Royal Academy of Music in
London. He is currently conductor and musical
director of the Portsmouth Choral Union, the Chichester
Singers and the professional chamber orchestra Southern
Pro Musica.
As a conductor, Jonathan Willcocks works regularly
with his own choirs and chamber orchestra in the South
of England, but also travels widely in his work as
a guest conductor. He works extensively in the USA,
most recently giving concert performances and taking
choral workshops in New York, Wisconsin, Nebraska,
Indiana, North Carolina, and Michigan. He conducted
the children's Honor Choir at the Canadian
Suas Festival in 2001, and made a return
trip to Canada in July 2003 for the Niagara
Music Festival. Other recent engagements
have taken him to France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland,
Italy, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Australia.
2001 saw his first invitation to South Africa to conduct
the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir.
Jonathan has also been guest conductor at festivals
in Michigan, Santa Fe and Albuquerque
in USA. His extensive choral and orchestral conducting
experience results in many invitations to take choral
workshops and adjudicate competitions and festivals.
He has recently served as Chairman of the Jury for
the prestigious Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC) Choral Competition in Toronto and Montreal.
His other directorships include the Québec
International Choral Festivallin
2010.
Jonathan’s compositions encompass large-scale
orchestral scores and chamber music, in addition to
the many choral works published principally by Oxford
University Press, Lorenz (USA) and Prime
Music. Prestigious commissions have been received
from many festivals and choirs and his major works
have been presented in major concerts halls, including
the Carnegie Hall in New York, Royal
Festival and Royal Albert Halls in
London and Symphony Hall in Birmingham. There are
now many recordings of his music, including three
CDs issued by Priory Records devoted entirely to his
choral music and two Prime Music CDs of his works
for children’s choirs.
Participating
Choirs to date
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Clavis
Cordium - Czech Republic
“Clavis
Cordium“ translates as “the
key to the hearts“. This 35 strong
female choir was established in June 1992
and their repertoire covers a wide range
of music from the Renaissance to contemporary
Czech pieces. They perform in their home
town, Most in the Czech Republic and have
also taken part in international competitions
such as the Bohuslav Martinu competition
in 2005 and Praga cantat in 2006. They
gained silver status in both events. They
have taken part in Festivals their home
country, in Sweden and Italy gaining bronze
and silver medals. Earlier this year,
they won the silver zone category at the
international competition of contemporary
music “Canti veris Praga”
in Prague. Clavis Cordium have been directed
by Eva Šimková since their
beginning and accompanied by Mrs. Milena
Bittnerová. They are delighted
to be part of the Leipzig Festival.
www.sbor.cz/clavis
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| John
Septimus Roe Anglican Community School Choir
- Australia John
Septimus Roe Anglican Community School
Choir are based in Perth, Western Australia.
There are five choirs at the school and
the Festival welcomes the largest with
around 55 members. Recently they have
performed; Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater
Vivaldi’s Gloria, Purcell’s
Dido & Aeneas and Fauré’s
Requiem with their own string orchestra
as well as at many other concerts, eisteddfods
and services around Perth. Regular appearances
include their annual Festival of Nine
Lesson & Carols, the Choir & Organ
Showcase and a visit to the Benedictine
community of New Norcia. Their conductor
Andrew Sutherland graduated in 1997 from
the University of Western Australia with
honours. He has performed as a singer
with Ex Cathedra, The Chapel Royale, Mecurius
Companie and The Song Company. In 1995
Andrew founded The Giovanni Consort, establishing
an important subscription series. Accompanist,
Jangoo Chapkhana is widely regarded as
one of Australia’s most polished
all-round performers, and has played to
critical acclaim as a recitalist on harpsichord,
organ and piano and is a highly sought-after
composer and jazz artist. His performing
engagements have taken him to cathedrals,
concert halls and universities in Australia,
England, Ireland, Scotland, Egypt, Japan,
Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa,
the USA and France. This is the choir’s
first international tour.
www.jsracs.wa.edu.au
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| The
Liverpool Bluecoat School Choir - England
The
Liverpool Bluecoat School are a successful
choir that tour regularly. Venice in 2003
and they have visited the Cantabria region
of Spain twice in recent years. They have
sung mass and given concerts in St Mark’s
Basilica, in Venice, The Votivkirke in
Vienna, St Nicholas’ in Prague and
in the cathedrals of St Sebastian and
Santander. Their Director, Martin Cook
has a wealth of choral experience. A graduate
of the Royal Northern College of Music,
in the UK he has also studied and worked
in Boston and Newfoundland. He has been
Head of Music several schools in the UK.
He has also been a freelance choral conductor
and music consultant most notably with
Chester Music Society Junior Choir, who,
under his direction, achieved national
and international acclaim. Martin is delighted
to bring his choir to Leipzig.
www.bluecoatschoolliverpool.org.uk
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Sacred
Music Chorale - USA
The
Sacred Music Chorale was founded in 1999
by a small group of singers from University
Presbyterian Church, Seattle, to “sing
the great music of the Christian church.”
The Chorale members hail from from all
around the Puget Sound region. The Chorale
has presented concerts twice yearly, before
Christmas and in the early Spring. The
Chorale is artist-in-residence at Trinity
Parish Church, Episcopal in Seattle. They
celebrate their 10th anniversary this
year.
www.sacredmusicchorale.org
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