International Competition for Choir Conductors "Mariele Ventre"

The final concert and the ceremony to present the awards to the winners of the third edition of the International Competition for Choir Conductors "Mariele Ventre" took place on the evening of Sunday 9^th October, in the gothic setting of the Basilica di San Martino in Bologna.
31 participants of 16 different nationalities sent their application for the competition. Out of these, 10 competitors for the final selection were chosen by the Jury:

Sergio Fontao, Portugal;
Marco García de Paz, Spain;
Harald Jers, Germany;
Christian Jeub, Germany;
Jan Scheerer, Germany;
Michele Napolitano, Italy;
Manus O’Donnell, Ireland;
Manvinder Rattan, England;
Artur Sedzielarz, Poland;
Katarzyna Smialkowska, Poland.

In the "Museo della Musica” on Wednesday 5^th, Thursday 6^th and Friday 7^th, the jury examined the 10 competitors who directed the 3 choirs taking part in the third year of the competition - the "Ars Cantica Choir" of Milan, in the Renaissance- Baroque repertoire, the "Chamber Choir of Kracow" in the Romantic repertoire, and the "Bristol Bach Choir" in the Modern and Contemporary Repertoire.

To conclude the three days, the jury made a further selection to draw up a short-list of 4 finalists: Jan Scheerer, Christian Jeub, Harald Jers, all 3 from Germany, and Manus O’Donnell from Ireland. After another test to direct the 3 choirs present, the jury nominated Jan Scheerer and Christian Jeub winners of the third year of the Competition. The Jury decided not to attribute the first prize.

The second prize of 2,600 euro went to Jan Scheerer, of Tübingen, Germany, who also received the trophy of the "Mariele Ventre" International Competition for Choir Directors, the work of the artist Alfredo Gioventù, from Maria Antonietta Ventre, President of the Mariele Ventre Foundation.
The third prize of 1,600 euro went to Christian Jeub of Solingen.

The fourth "Mariele Ventre" International Competition for Choir Directors will take place in 2007.