09/04/2026
🔥ADDITIONAL DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: APRIL 15TH 🔥
THE INTERNATIONAL CHORAL COMPETITION
MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS
Date: 18rh of October 2026
1. The Contest is addressed to amateur choirs.
2. The Artistic Council is entitled to take a decision concerning the qualification of choirs which will take part in the festival on the basis of the recordings sent by the groups (CD, DVD or MP3) and the declared competition program.
1. The regulations:
1. The choirs qualified to the festival are supposed to prepare the contest program of the duration of 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); in case of the senior and the youth choirs, the time is between 10 - 12 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage). The senior and the youth choirs competing in other categories are allowed the time-limit of 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage). Exceeding the time limit might result in losing 2 points of the general assessment.
2. The contest program should consist of minimum 4 choral a ca****la pieces which are to be stylistically diversified; presenting one of the pieces accompanied by and instrument written in the score will be accepted.
3. The organizers would like to encourage all the participants to perform a piece by a Georgian composer.
There will be a special prize for the best performance of a piece by a Georgian composer.
4. The pieces once declared in advance are obligatory and are not the subject of any alterations.
5. During the contest auditions the assessment will be made by the jury set up by the organizers and consisting of the renowned musicians. The evaluation conducted by the jury is confidential. The jury's decisions are final and irrevocable.
6. Main criteria taken into consideration:
- performance level and difficulty of the program
- repertoire selection and dramaturgy
- articulation, both verbal and musical
- musical expression: interpretation, style of performance
- sound traits, voice emission
- intonation
7. The categories of the contest:
a) SACRAL MUSIC
Is available for the choirs belonging to any age group.
The repertoire should consist of exclusively sacral music. It should contain at least three pieces of music, one of which must have been composed before the year 1750.
b) CONTEMPORARY MUSICC
Is available for the choirs belonging to any age group.
The repertoire should exclusively consist of pieces of music created after the year 1945. At least one work should be composed by a composer who is still alive.
c) FOLK/ETHNIC MUSIC
Is available for the choirs belonging to any age group.
The presented pieces of music should be ethnic/folk music or the ones inspired by folklore. The program should include at least one work from the choir’s country of origin, presented in its native language.
d) GOSPEL, SPIRITUAL, JAZZ, POP
The presented music should be performed without microphones and the sound system. One work may be presented with the piano accompaniment.
e) CHAMBER CHOIRS (12-24 members)
The choirs qualified are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
f) VOCAL GROUPS (up to 12 members)
The groups qualified to the festival are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
g) MIXED CHOIRS
The choirs qualified are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
h) HOMOGENEOUS CHOIRS
The choirs qualified are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
i) CHILDREN CHOIRS (age up to 15) *
The choirs qualified are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 10-12 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
*min. 80% of the choir members should fulfill the age category requirements.
j) YOUTH CHOIRS (between the age of 15 and 19) *
The choirs qualified are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 10-12 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
*min. 80% of the choir members should fulfill the age category requirements.
k) SENIOR CHOIRS (over 60 years of age)
The choirs qualified are supposed to prepare the contest program lasting 12-15 minutes (including entering and leaving the stage); including at least three pieces of music.
*min. 80% of the choir members should fulfill the age category requirements.
8. Age limits: The organizers expect the prior provision of the list of the singers including the full name and the date of birth. This exclusively refers to the categories with the age
limit. The responsibility for the above falls on the group leader.
9. Choirs participating in the Festival will take part in the Gala Concert, which will be held in Kutaisi on October 18, 2026. The groups are obliged to prepare one traditional Georgian piece, which will be performed together during the Gala Concert. Scores will be sent to the teams by the organizers after the team is qualified.
10. The choirs participating in the contest are obliged to take part in the Laureate Concert.
11. The organizers take no responsibility for an illegal performance (copyright laws) and resulting from it legal procedures.
12. The application to participate in the festival means agreement with the organizers' right to register, present and use materials (in order to promote the festival) for free.
2. Prizes:
The Grand Prix Prize and all the other special prizes are financial prizes.
The prizes in the on-line contest are not the financial ones.
Grand Prix – for the best choir of the festival
Honour diplomas:
Golden Diploma: 91 – 100 pkt.
Silver Diploma: 81 – 90 pkt.
Bronze Diploma: 61 – 80 pkt.
The choirs awarded the highest number of points, receive a Diploma and a statue for the Category Winner on condition that it receives the Golden Diploma, otherwise the title for a Category Winner will not be awarded.
SPECIAL PRIZES:
- for the best performance of contemporary composer's piece of music (born after 1945)
- for the best performance of a work by a Georgian composer (for a non-Georgian choir)
- for the most interesting interpretation of a sacred music
- for the best rendition of a folklore-inspired piece of music
Jury reserves the right to award the prize not mentioned in the contest regulations. The jury also has a right to other distribution of the prizes (other than mentioned in the contest regulations).
All the prizes will be taxed according to the existing law.
3. Accommodation
The cost of the entire stay is 310 EUR per person.
The price includes:
3 nights with meals (breakfast, supper )
Gala meeting with lunch for all choirs
1 guided excursion
Transfer
The organizers will help you plan trips to explore the beauty and diversity of the country.
4. Deadlines:
1. Carefully filled Application cards along with the attachments are to be sent to the e-mail
([email protected]) by the 15th of April 2026.
2. Choirs will be informed about the acceptance to the festival by the day 20th of April 2026
3. The confirmation of the payment of the application fee needs to be sent by the day 30th of April 2026 to the e-mail ([email protected] )
Qualified choirs are obliged to send the scores of the submitted repertoire by 30th of September 2026, electronically to the follow
ORGANIZATIONAL OFFICE
Contact person in Poland
[email protected]
+48603635800
Contact in English
+48693030959
The organizers reserve themselves the right to change the terms of regulations.