VACLOVAS AUGUSTINAS – Lithuania
President of the Jury 2020
The Lithuanian choral conductor, composer and music pedagogue, Vaclovas Augustinas, graduated twice from the Lithuanian Academy of Music, receiving diplomas in choir conducting in 1981 (under Professor Hermanas Perelšteinas) and composition in 1992 (under Professor Julius Juzeliūnas). Vaclovas Augustinas was member of rock groups Saulės laikrodis and Antis (keyboards, vocal); after the reunion of Antis in 2007, he continues to compose songs and perform with them. From 1980 to 1992, he taught at the Ąžuoliukas Music School. Since 1992 he has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Vilnius Municipality Choir Jauna Muzika. In 1993, as guest conductor, he participated in the Congress of Choirleaders in Växjö, Sweden. In 1996 he led master courses for choir conductors during the international festival XVI Jardanos Coralistas Aragonesas in Borja, Spain. In 1999 he delivered lectures and led the seminar at the world symposium of the International Choir Music Federation held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2014 he was appointed Head of the Composition Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Vaclovas Augustinas’ works are being regularly performed in Lithuania and abroad at various festivals, concert venues and choir competitions. Among them, his “Hymne à Saint Martin” for double mixed choir a cappella was awarded 3rd prize at the international competition for choral works Florilege vocal de Tours in France, 1996, and next year “Stomping Bride” for mixed choir and instruments was performed at the congress of the Association of American Choir Conductors in San Diego, California. In 2004 he was awarded the prize for the best choral work (Lux aeterna) at the composers’ competition organized by the Lithuanian Composers’ Union, in 2006 – the Mūzų Malūnas Prize for his concert activities, in 2010 – the 1st prize (for Calm and Quiet) at the competition of choral composition, organized by the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre and the Lithuanian Composers’ Union. In 2010 Vaclovas Augustinas was awarded the Lithuanian National Arts and Culture Prize. Choral works, naturally, represent the most significant and substantial part of his creative output. They often reveal composers’ reluctance to depart from the major-minor system: one can find a few instances, where his harmonies, dominated by the third structures, seem to approach modal organization of pitches. In these works, rhythm and melodic contour are inextricably linked to phonetic and semantic characteristics of a given verbal text. Acoustic affinity serves as a basic factor for dynamic development of his forms.
PIETRO FERRARIO – Italy
Member of the Jury 2020
Born in Busto Arsizio, Pietro Ferrario began his musical studies at the age of ten under the guidance of Mariateresa Nebuloni. After his scientific studies he graduated in piano, composition, organ, choral music and choir conducting at the conservatories of Brescia, Milan and Alessandria, studying with Luigi Molfino and Bruno Bettinelli. He then improved in composition with Azio Corghi, in film-music with E. Morricone, in organ with L. Rogg, G. Parodi and others, in choir conducting with G. Graden and T. Kaljuste. He gives concerts as choir conductor, pianist and organist. As a composer he is the author of several pages of piano, organ, orchestral, choral, symphonic-choral, performed and recorded in Italy and abroad (Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Australia, China, United States, New Zealand, Argentina, Israel, Japan, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Norway, South Africa, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Indonesia, Belgium) by important ensembles and established performers, in the major music seasons (recently Carnegie Hall New York 2019 and ACDA National Convention Kansas City 2019) and in the major choral competitions (Arezzo, Tours, Debrecen, Toulouse, Gorizia, Maribor). He has composed on commission of Fondazione Toscanini di Parma, Settimane Musicali di Stresa, Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano, Landesakademie Ochsenhausen. In 2004 he won 1st prize at the 1st International Choral Composition Trophy “Seghizzi” in Gorizia; in 2008 1st prize at the International Composition Competition “Bettinelli” in Milan, in 2016 1st prize at the National Composition Competition “Canta Petrarca” in Arezzo. Two of his compositions were compulsory pieces at the International Choral Competition in Arezzo in 2017 and 2019. He has published for Ricordi, Carrara, Rugginenti, Sonzogno, Feniarco, European Musical Editions, Sonitus, and the German Carus-Verlag and Ferrimontana. He has been invited to take part in juries of important international choral and composition competitions in Italy and abroad, as well as being currently a member of the artistic commission of the “Seghizzi” International Choral Competition in Gorizia. In 1997 he founded the vocal Ensemble Calycanthus of Parabiago (1st National Prize of Arezzo 2005, Grand Prize Efrem Casagrande Vittorio Veneto 2006, Feniarco prize as best Italian choir in Gorizia 2008, 1st prize section vocal groups in Biella 2012, 2nd prize ex-aequo (1st not awarded) at the 9th National Competition Lake Maggiore in Verbania 2018 section. mixed choirs), with which he has given concerts in important music festivals in Italy and abroad, also holding premieres of some works by Miškinis, Dubra, Corghi, and Italian premieres of works by Sixten and Antognini, and with which he has recorded two CDs for Bottega Discantica and SMC Records. Since 1997 he has also directed the Choral of the Basilica of Cuggiono and from 1997 to 2014 he also directed the Dalakopen Choir of Legnano (2nd prize Vittorio Veneto 2012, 1st prize Biella 2012). As a pianist, the public performances of Chopin’s, Liszt’s and Rachmaninoff’s Etudes, as well as a programme entirely based on his own piano production, have been of note in recent years. He is the organist and owner of the precious Carrera 1841 organ of the church SS. Gervaso e Protaso in Parabiago (MI), where he lives and works. He has taught various subjects at the conservatories of Vicenza, Cagliari Sassari and Cesena. He currently teaches harmony theory and analysis at the Conservatory of Parma.
JOHN AUGUST PAMINTUAN – Philippines
Member of the Jury 2020
John August Pamintuan is a renowned Philippine conductor, composer, singer, clinician, and adjudicator. Since 2007, John is recognized by the American Federation of Musicians as an artist of sustained international acclaim. As a conductor he has given workshops, performed in concerts, and won in competitions in Asia, Europe, and North America. As a singer, he has sung in solo recitals at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and Moscow Glinka Hall. As a composer, John was awarded the composition prize in Tours (France), Tokyo (Japan) and has written commissioned works for the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Lithuania, and the Philippines. He has composed around 450 pieces which have been performed by choirs from 30 countries. In the last couple of years, John has been invited in the jury of international choir competitions in Hoi An, Cincinnati, Rimini and Cattolica Italy, Singapore, Penang, Hong-Kong, Taiwan, Chiang Mai and Bangkok Thailand, Jakarta and Manado Indonesia, Riga Latvia, and the cities of Takarazuka, Kobe, Karuizawa, and Tokyo in Japan. He is also a member of the panel of adjudicators for composition contests in Croatia (2011, 2012, 2014), International Federation for Choral Music (2013), and International Choral Composition Competition Japan (2015, 2016, 2018, 2020). Towards creating cross cultural ties and strengthening friendship and cooperation, John August Pamintuan has also organized many musical exchanges among conductors and choirs of Asian countries. He is the Artistic Director of the Asian Choral Masters, and also an honorary member of the Choral Directors Associations of Japan and Italy.
FABIO PECCI – Italy
Member of the Jury 2020
Fabio Pecci studied cello at the Istituto Musicale “G. Verdi” in Ravenna and graduated successfully. He has given hundreds of concerts as soloist and member of chamber and orchestral ensembles in Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Greece. He has received several prizes in national and international competitions and has recorded several CDs for Tactus, Bongiovanni and other independent labels. He has led the “800 ensemble” chamber group, also taking care of the musical arrangements. Music Therapist, over the years he has become passionate about music pedagogy, becoming a consultant for various schools and M.I.U.R.; from his work with children was born the passion for the choir. He currently conducts three children’s choirs and a youth choir with which he carries out an intense activity. As choir conductor he has given concerts in Italy, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, San Marino, Lithuania, obtaining several prizes and awards in numerous national and international competitions (including 12 first * prizes): Rimini Choral International Competition – 2009, Kaunas Cantat – 2019, New entries for Guido – Fondazione “G. D’Arezzo” 2019 (2*), Queen of Adriatic Sea Choral Competition – 2015 (*), International Competition City of Treviso – 2013 (*), Pesaro International Music Competition “CIMP” -2018 (*), Pesaro International Music Competition “CIMP “2020 (*), City of Faenza 2012/2013/2014/2015/ 2019 with various formations (6*), Gaffurio” competition in Quartiano di Lodi – 2017. Invited to participate in the concerts for Parma 2020 – Capital of Italian Culture, he has participated as a residential choir/laboratory in various international competitions and workshops, collaborating with V. Miskinis, B. Astulez, Fondazione “Romano Gandolfi “Parma, among others. He oversaw the preparation of the children’s choir in “Tosca”, “Bohème” and “Carmen” for numerous Italian theatres and opera houses, from 2012 to 2019. In 2008 with the choir “Le Allegre Note” she took part in the production of “TE DEUM” by Berlioz directed by M° C. Abbado and broadcast on RAI 1 on Christmas Eve; with the same choir he performed several times C. Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Percussionists of Santa Cecilia in Rome, in several national tours. He has given premieres of pieces by contemporary composers, some of them also dedicated* to his choirs: M. Da Rold*, A. Basevi*, M. Marchetti* and M. Santoiemma. For years he sang as Barytone/Bass in the coro Lirico “A. Galli” in Rimini singing in various operatic productions, directed by prestigious Maestros, among whom also M° Ennio Morricone. Since 2013 he has been a member of the Artistic Commission of AERCO (Associazione Cori dell’Emilia Romagna) for which he is particularly responsible for activities aimed at children’s and youth choirs. Appointed to represent Emilia-Romagna with the choir “Note In Crescendo” at the national choral review at EXPO 2015 “Vivaio di Voci”, he was teacher for the “Spring Festival” FENIARCO in Montecatini in 2016 and 2017. He regularly holds workshops and choral meetings for various choral associations. Jury member in numerous competitions in Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia, France and Belgium, he is artistic director of the “Città di Riccione” Choral Competition for children’s choirs. For 27 years he has been teaching at school institutes in the province of Rimini and Pesaro/Urbino, curating musical projects dedicated to primary school.
HEECHURL KIM – South Korea
Member of the Jury 2020
Heechurl Kim is a professor of music school of Shenyang University in China. He established Chun-Song Foundation, which is a music foundation in Jeju, and began to hold Jeju International Choir Festival & Symposium and World Youth Choral Festival & Competition in Jeju. As artistic director of both choral festivals, he works hard to invite various and professional choirs from Korea and abroad and to spread out the professional choral education and choral music which including messages through the choral symposium to the society. World Youth Choral Festival & Competition in Jeju, which held since 2018, has the purpose of cultural exchange through choral music and self-fulfillment through performances of children and youth choirs form Korea and abroad. After he studied abroad, he worked as the conductor of World Vision Korea Children’s Choir until 2015. He was recognized his musical ability through having more than 1,000 performances and he is still leading out to publicize the importance of education through choral music for children and youth. He also worked as the artistic director for World Vision Korea Children’s Choral Festival until 2015 and has been publicized the importance of choral education through performances and seminar/workshops in abroad. In Jeju, he founded Chun-Song Children’s Choir which is included in Chun-Song Foundation and working as the artistic director of the choir. Besides, he contributed on Korea women’s choral music through publishing records and videos which made with Korean composers’ music for amateur women’s choir. Also, he trained younger students and conductors as professor of Chung-Ang University music school and others. From 2015 to 2016, he performed as the guest conductor of Shanghai Youth Choir and Hangzhou AIYUE Children’s Choir and Women’s Choir. He holds choral seminars for music teachers of elementary and middle school regularly and worked as the lecturer in China. Currently, he is the artistic director of Jeju International Choir Festival & Symposium, artistic director of World Youth Choral Festival & Competition in Jeju, principal of Yejurang Arts School, vice-president of Korea International Choral Association, board member of Korea Church Music Association, music director of United Singers, board member and music director of Chun- Song Foundation, vice-president of UNESCO Jeju association, conductor of Yonsei Music Academy, and choir conductor of Myungsung church. In 2019, he gathered youth from South Korea and North Korea and founded Korea Youth Choir with the purpose of sharing message of peace through singing. Conductor, Heechurl Kim, will keep working hard to make consideration and sharing culture which is the characteristics of choral. Especially, he will focus on raising positive minds for children and youth through choral education.