International Conductors

James Litton
U.S.A.

Diane Loomer
Canada

Robert Sund
Sweden

Jaroslav Krček
Czech Republic

2^nd International Boys and Men's Choral Festival
MUSICAL EXPERIENCE
 

Artist-in-Residence

Ensemble Amarcord - The festival is thrilled to feature Ensemble Amarcord as guest artist-in-residence. Founded in 1992, the ensemble is comprised of former members of the St. Thomas Boys Choir. Its musical work focuses on music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as collaboration with contemporary composers. The ensemble has undertaken several concert tours in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East. In addition to its concert activity, Amarcord has also made its mark by establishing and organising "a cappella", the regular Leipzig festival of vocal music, which has already hosted such ensembles as the Swingle Singers, the Huelgas Ensemble and Chanticleer. Amarcord CDs are released on the Apollon Classics label.

International Conductors

James Litton is widely regarded as one of America’s most prominent choral conductors. A specialist in children’s choral techniques and an accomplished organist, Dr. Litton has conducted The American Boychoir in 49 states and 12 nations in more than 2,000 concerts during his 14-year tenure as Music Director.

Dr. Litton has conducted choral and orchestral works throughout five continents, and regularly leads workshops and seminars in the United States and abroad. Most recently, Dr. Litton served as a Festival Conductor for the America Fest International Singing Festival for Men and Boys, where the American Boychoir served as Artists-in-Residence during the summer of 1998.

Dr. Litton is the founder of a large number of choral groups, including community choral ensembles, college, church and school choirs. He has conducted on more than 40 recordings, including American Boychoir releases on Angel Records and several independently produced albums for other recording labels.

Prior to his appointment at The American Boychoir School, Dr. Litton held positions at Westminster Choir College, Princeton Theological Seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary and The University of the South. A former member of the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Church Music, he participated in the preparation and publication of the Episcopal Hymnal, 1982. For 13 years, Dr. Litton was the Organist and Director of Music at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City, where he now serves as Artistic Consultant.
 

Diane Loomer is internationally recognized as one of Canada's leading musicians; a sought-after conductor and clinician on the international choral scene with engagements taking her to all corners of the world. She is founder and conductor of Chor Leoni Men's Choir and co-founder and co-conductor of Elektra Women's Choir; she has taught on the music faculty at the University of British Columbia.

Both her men's and women's choirs have repeatedly won first prizes in national and international competitions. Her choral compositions have been published and recorded internationally, and she frequently appears on CBC national radio as a spokesperson for the classical arts. The first woman to conduct the National Youth Choir of Canada, Diane received the Healey Willan award in 1990 for her service to choral music in British Columbia; in 1994, she was named YWCA Vancouver's Woman of Distinction in Arts and Culture; and in 1997 and 2004 received Distinguished Alumni Awards honouring her achievements in choral music. In 2002 she received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for her significant contribution to Canada's culture. Diane has conducted several ACDA State Honour Choirs and has conducted Provincial Youth Choirs and Honour Choirs in every province in Canada. In 2003, Diane was appointed by the University of Victoria to the University Women’s Scholar Lecture Series and in 2005 was appointed Conductor Emeritus to Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

With the help of her husband, Dick, she has established Cypress Choral Music as a thriving source of new Canadian choral music and an encouragement to Canadian choral composers. In recognition of her achievements in and service to music and humanity throughout Canada, in 1999 Diane was thrilled to receive the country's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada.
 

Robert Sund sings, plays, arranges, composes and conducts. His multi-faceted gift has given him a prominent position both on the Swedish and the international music scene. Most importantly, Robert Sund has been a principal driving force behind OD's development, and has contributed greatly to the broadening of the choir's repertoire.

In 1993, Robert Sund was named Conductor of the Year by the Föreningen Sveriges Körledare [Association of Swedish Choirmasters]. For 17 years he has been teaching conducting and ensemble leadership at the Musikhögskolan [Academy of Music] in Stockholm. He is in great demand to lead courses for both choral singers and conductors in Scandinavia, Europe, the USA, South America and New Zealand. He has been guest conductor everywhere from the Radio Choir in Vienna to the Coro Nacional in Cuba. He is a guest lecturer and a diligent jury member at choral competitions, and a conductor at choral festivals all over the world.
 

Jaroslav Krček is conductor and Czech contemporary composer. He is a multi-faceted musician; apart from conducting, he is also a composer, plays a number of musical instruments, sings and even makes new instruments for the ensemble's needs. Since his student years, Krček has shown a particular interest in the folk tradition and along with this, in anonymous works in Czech culture. This is a branch of music that Krček thoroughly understands and to with he possesses a particulary strong emotional attachment. His arrangements of folk songs are highly individual and, in comparison with simple arrangements, are highly stylizet. Through this work, Jaroslav Krček aims to awaken in his listeners an affection for folk and historical anonymous music. He presents it in a living form, free from academic restraint but with a spontaneity which fits this form of art, and he offers to his audience artiscally polished performances thast achieve the most rigorous criteria.

The second main thread runs through in parallel with his interest in history and folk songs: his own compositions in the symphonic, chamber and vocal genres. In this area, Krček also has orthodox musical doctrine, nor become tied down by predetermined rules. He has not given in attempted to compose music which would beauty life, bring satisfaction and spiritual enrichment and thus captivate the listeners. He is also very prolific conductor. He has recorded more than 50 CDs, including his historical music, his own compositions, and his recordings of folk songs.
 

Orchestra

Musica Bohemica - Musica Bohemica is a chamber ensemble with a tradition stretching back almost thirty years. It has 13 main member musicians, but can be enlarged so than the ensemble can make performances with more than 70 members, including the choir. In consequence, the ensemble can interpret a broad range of music from peak baroque to large oratorio forms of classicism, to contemporary music. Interpretation and arrangements of anonymous and folk music are very specific and unique. Various programs of thematic orientation have been created; for example, Christmas and Easter concerts for young people (educational concerts), etc. A major activity of the ensemble is of course recordings of different repertoire on CD. The ensemble has already recorded 38 CD titles as well as music for several films. The ensemble is also a frequent guest in different countries throughout Europe. www.musicabohemica.eu