The World Choral Championship is a choral competition among the better choirs of the world, winning at the very famous competition like Tokyio (Japan), Rimini (Italy), Taipei (Taiwan) and Krakow (Poland).
1. The following Choral Festivals:
· International Krakow Choir Festival Cracovia Cantans (Krakow, Poland) www.krakowchoirfestival.pl
· Tokyo International Choir Competition (Tokyo, Japan) https://www.ticctokyo.icot.or.jp/en
· Taipei International Choral Competition (Taipei, Taiwan) http://www.ticc.tw
· Rimini International Choral Competition (Rimini, Italy) http://www.riminichoral.it
2. World Choral Championship will be held:
· in year 2019 in Tokyo (Japan) on 25th July 2019
· in year 2020 in Rimini (Italy) on 16th September 2020
· in year 2021 in Krakow (Poland) on 12th - 13th June 2021
· in year 2022 in Taipei (Taiwan) on 1st - 2nd August 2022
· Calendar of the Championships will be updated annually.
3. The World Choral Championship is open to the choirs that are the winners of the Grand Prix, on the previous year, at the festivals listed in point 1.
a) This means, for instance, that the participants at World Choral Championship 2019 in Tokyo will be the Grand Prix winners of:
- Rimini International Choral Competition 2018 (Rimini, Italy) http://www.riminichoral.it
- International Krakow Choir Festival Cracovia Cantans 2018 (Krakow, Poland) www.krakowchoirfestival.pl
- Taipei International Choral Competition 2018 (Taipei, Taiwan) http://www.ticc.tw
- Tokyo International Choir Competition 2018 (Tokyo, Japan) https://www.ticctokyo.icot.or.jp/en +
b) The World Choral Championship 2020 will be open for the 2019 Grand Prix winners of above mentioned festivals
c) The World Choral Championship 2021 will be open for the 2020 Grand Prix winners of above mentioned festivals
d) The World Choral Championship 2022 will be open for the 2021 Grand Prix winners of above mentioned festivals and so on….
Under exceptional circumstances, a substitute choir may be called. As soon as a choir has been qualified by one of the Competition members, it cannot be qualified again in the same year by another Competition member.
4. Each participant choir at the World Choral Championship will prepare a choral music program lasting between 25 and 30 minutes, consisting of several pieces, selected with the following criteria:
· At least 1 song of 19th century or earlier.
· At least 1 song from 20th - 21thcentury composer.
· At least 1 song with the text in Latin.
· Only 1 song can be accompanied by instrument(s)
5. The World Choral Championship will be judged by the Jury panel of at least 5 Jury members. The jury will take into account:
- Pitch and Intonation
- Rhythm
- Interpretation and fidelity to the score
- Sound quality and blending
- Artistic Impression
The jury will NOT take into account: dance, choreography, costumes.
6. The best choir will receive the title “World Choral Champion”, the World Choral Championship Trophy and a money prize of 5000,00 EUR. The amount might be subject to tax according to local rules where the Championship is taking place.
7. The choirs admitted to each edition of World Choral Championship will receive from the organizers free accommodation, meals and local transportations (local airport transfers and transfers for singing/rehearsals) for maximum 50 members, and for 2 nights (3 days) in the town in which the championship is held that particular year. The international flight or any other mean of transportation to the World Choral Championship is organized and paid individually by the participant choirs.
8. The rules of World Choral Championship do NOT change any rules of the partner festivals and competitions.
9. All the choirs that take part in the WCC must participate with the same number of choristers that they had for the qualification contest. However a margin of 10% more or less of this number of choristers is allowed (enlarged to the nearest integer: decimals from 1 to 5 go down and from 6 to 9 go up), with a minimum of 12 choristers. In any case 50 singers is the maximum number of singers who will receive free hospitality. If these limits are not respected the choir will be automatically disqualified.
10. The Choirs taking part at World Choral Championship shall inform about their participation at least 6 months before the Championship. They will send to the WCC organization the chosen program (in order of performance), photo and other details.
11. Organizer of each World Choral Championship has the right to ask, free of charge, for additional performances of the competing choirs. These additional performances should be organized after the competition in front of the jury. Each choir shall not change the agreed plan of staying (e.g. earlier departure) at World Choral Championship, regardless the results.
12. Organizers receive from the choirs the full rights to freely use the recordings, video and pictures made during the World Choral Championship and these are no subject of any further claim by the choirs.
Maciej Przerwa - Director of International Krakow Choir Festival Cracovia Cantans
Ko Matsush*ta - Director of Tokyo International Choir Competition
Johnny Ku - Director of Taipei International Choral Competition
Andrea Angelini - Director of Rimini International Choral Competition
