Join the 2019 World Youth Choir

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Youth Choir (WYC), France will host the 2019 WYC Summer Sessionin the southern region of Occitanie, from mid-July to early August. The Session will be a unique experience for the 60 young singers from around the world and for the audiences who will attend their high-quality concerts. Presented by Plate-forme interrégionale, the 2019 WYC session partners are working together to provide the best venues and performance opportunities for an unforgettable event.

While the Occitanie region is recognised for its own celebrated musical traditions with numerous prestigious festivals, it also offers a rich culture of gastronomy, diversified natural landscape, and captivating history. This stimulating and inspiring setting will enable the 2019 WYC singers to explore and experience French culture as they rehearse and make music together.

The ten days of rehearsals will take place in Millau or Saint Affrique. The concert tour will take the 2019 WYC to the International Festival of Sacred Music/World Music at Sylvanes Abbey, Lisbon (Portugal) and will end at the Choralies festival in Vaison-la-Romaine.

The World Youth Choir Foundation is looking for young, talented, experienced singers from all around the world who are interested in improving their skills in choral singing. If you are a passionate and experienced high-level choral singer or soloist between 17 and 26 years old, have a basic or professional music education, are excited to meet new international friends, are eager to learn in a multicultural environment, and are ready to spend 3-4 weeks with extraordinary like-minded choristers, the 2019 World Youth Choir session is for you!

Dates

• Arrival day: 14th or 15th of July 2019 (to be confirmed shortly)
• Departure day: 4th of August 2019

Choir details

The World Youth Choir 2019 will consist of a maximum of 60 singers (SATB), including four section leaders who will be chosen amongst WYC alumni.

Conductor

The conductor of the World Youth Choir 2019 will be Josep Vila i Casañas. Read more about him here.

Repertoire

The repertoire will consist of:

• Some works representative of the top XXth and XXIst centuries classic literature

• A commissioned new piece

• One of the present conductor’s pieces (Josep Vila i Casañas is also a well-known composer)

• Some highlights of the history of the WYC, as we celebrate its 30th aniversary

• Folk songs arrangements representatives of the five continents.

(Video: The WYC sing 'Ukuthula - A Zulu Prayer for Peace in the World. Video recordings from various locations. Sound recording from the Kodály Centre at the first concert of the tour in Pécs, Hungary on the 13th of July, 2017.)

Working language

Events are conducted in English. Intermediate level of English is required.

Conditions provided

For the selected singers, from arrival at a host country until departure, all accommodation, transportation, meals and music materials are provided by the organization, and a certificate of participation (diploma) is issued to each singer.

Selected participants are responsible for:

• Travel in between their host country and the rehearsal location/final concert tour destination

• Preparation of the chosen repertoire in advance, at home (music material in a digital package will be sent to all selected singers by email)

• Visas and all other official documents as well as health and travel insurance, etc.

• Pocket money

Participation fee

The participation fee for singers is 100€, to be paid to the World Youth Choir Foundation after the results of the international jury by the selected singers. There will also be a possibility to apply for a scholarship (in the form of exemption of the participation fee) to be able to join the project.

In addition, each participant is granted a free, one-year membership in the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat and the International Federation for Choral Music.

Deadline to apply: February 28th, 2019. 

Apply now at worldyouthchoir.org.