Judging and Jury
Jury
Georg Grün | Germany
Lone Larsen | Denmark/Sweden
Hirvo Surva | Estonia
Bernie Sherlock | Ireland
Sigvards Kļava | Latvia
Georg Grün is a German choral conductor and specialist in choral sound. He founded KammerChor Saarbrücken in 1990 and has been its artistic director ever since. With his ensembles, he has won major national and international choir competitions, performed at renowned music festivals and produced recordings with Saarländischer Rundfunk, Carus and Rondeau Productions.
From 2000 to 2013, he was Professor of Choral Conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim, where he founded an award-winning chamber choir. In 2012, he joined the University of Music Saar as a professor and became Artistic Director of BachChor Saarbrücken. In 2015, he established the HfM (Hochschule für Musik) Saar Summer School for choral conductors, which he continues to lead. Since 2008, he has also sung baritone with Daarler Vocal Consort.
Grün works internationally as a guest conductor, guest professor, juror and masterclass tutor. Since 2010, he has mentored conductors through the German Music Council. He chaired the jury of the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf from 2015 to 2019 and led its associated conducting masterclass until 2025. In 2025, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Marktoberdorf ICCC Festival. His recent and forthcoming engagements span Europe, Asia and the United States.
Sigvards Kļava is a Latvian conductor. From 1992 to 2023, he was Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Latvian Radio Choir, developing it into an internationally recognized ensemble with a distinctive vocal sound. Since 2024, he has continued working as a conductor of the choir.
His programs explore the human voice and connections between ancient and contemporary musical traditions, often bringing together different artistic genres. Major projects include the cycle Latvian Ring and Bach. Passion. Riga, which presented all of J. S. Bach’s Passions performance in Riga churches in 2014. His close collaboration with Latvian composers has resulted in numerous premieres and recordings.
Kļava studied at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, the Stuttgart Bach Academy and the St Petersburg Conservatory, and attended masterclasses at the Oregon Bach Festival. He taught conducting at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music from 2000 to 2022. In 2014 he became a professor. He has appeared in leading concert halls and festivals worldwide and guest-conducted prominent European professional choirs. A chief conductor of the Latvian Song Festival since 1990, he is a multiple recipient of the Latvian Grand Music Award, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers Award and the Order of the Three Stars.
Lone Larsen is a Danish-born conductor and music educator based in Sweden since 1998. She is the founder and Artistic Director of VoNo (formerly Voces Nordicae), a professional 12-voice ensemble established in 1999, recognised for innovative contemporary choral performance, improvisation and audience interaction.
She has collaborated with professional ensembles including DR Vokalensemblet, the Swedish Radio Choir, Pro Coro Canada, ORCAM Madrid, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble and the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, where she served as chorus master in 2008–2009. From 2012 to 2015, she was Artistic Director of the Norwegian ensemble Vokal Nord, exploring Sámi and joik-influenced music alongside with Baroque repertoire. She also works as a juror and leads international conducting masterclasses.
Larsen has worked on productions at Stockholm’s Folkoperan, including Having a Voice and Calling Home. Appointed Professor of Choral Conducting at Marie Cederschiöld University in 2017, she taught conductors and church musicians there between 2008 and 2024. She holds a music education degree from the Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg and a Master of Arts in Choral Conducting from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (2000). She also studied orchestral conducting and orchestration at The Juilliard School (2005–2007). She participated in the inaugural Eric Ericson Award in 2003 and was named Choir Conductor of the Year by the Association of Swedish Choral Conductors in 2008.
Bernie Sherlock (Ireland) is a leading Irish choral conductor. She is founder and conductor of the internationally acclaimed chamber choir New Dublin Voices, former artistic director of the Irish Youth Choirs (2020–2025) and former co-conductor of EuroChoir (2021). She designed and teaches the Masters programme in Choral Conducting at the TU Dublin Conservatoire where she also directs the award-winning TU Chamber Choir. For twelve years she directed and taught at the International Choral Conducting Summer School held annually in the University of Limerick. She is the Co-Artistic Director and tutor of the Dublin International Choral Masterclasses.
Sherlock has received many individual conducting awards from competitions in a number of countries. Her work as an adjudicator, guest conductor and presenter of workshops has taken her throughout Europe and to the United States, Canada and China.
She has a particular passion for the music of living composers and has conducted more than 100 world premieres, including 90 with New Dublin Voices. She has worked with professional choirs, large-scale oratorio choirs such as the Culwick Choral Society and the Choral Society of Trinity College Dublin, and various children’s and student choirs. She is a founding Board member of the World Choral Conductors Network and Ireland’s representative on the World Choir Council. Bernie holds a degree in Music from Trinity College Dublin and studied conducting in Hungary for two years before completing Masters and Doctoral degrees in conducting at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music/DCU (Dublin City University).
Hirvo Surva (1963) is an Estonian choral conductor and music educator. He studied at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School and graduated in choral conducting from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (then Tallinn State Conservatory) in 1990, studying with Professor Ants Üleoja.
Since 2001, he has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir. He is Professor of Choral Conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, a founding member and Chairman of the Estonian Choral Conductors’ Association, and Chairman of the Estonian Choral Association. Since 1998, he has led the Revalia Chamber Male Choir. He conducted the Estonian Public Broadcasting Mixed Choir from 2008 to 2024 and the All-Estonian Boys’ Choir Kalev from 1994 to 2009. In 2006, he was a visiting professor at the University of Oregon.
Surva has contributed extensively to the Estonian Song Festival tradition since 1991. He was Artistic Director of the 9th Youth Song Festival (2002) and the 26th General Song Festival (2014), and General Conductor at the 24th and 25th General Song Festivals (2004 and 2009). His honors include the Gustav Ernesaks Choral Music Main Prize (2011), the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (2015), and the Estonian Music Council Prize (2021).
Pre-selection Jury
Krista Audere | Latvia / Netherlands (1989)
Vaclovas Augustinas | Lithuania (1959)
Basilio Astulez Duque | Spain, Basque Country (1975)
Krista Audere | Latvia / Netherlands (1989)
Krista Audere is a conductor of Latvian origin, now based in the Netherlands. She is currently the conductor of the VU-Kamerkoor, Kamerkoor Venus, and is regularly engaged as a guest conductor of the Dutch Chamber Choir, the Dutch Radio Choir and Cappella Amsterdam. As from 2024 Krista is appointed as main subject teacher Choral Conducting at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Starting in 2025 she is named as first ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir.
In 2028 Krista Audere will be following Daniel Reuss as the artistic leader and chief conductor of Cappella Amsterdam.
Krista Audere is the winner of the Eric Ericson award 2021.
In the 2026/27 season she has engagements with the Swedish Radio Choir, the Bavarian Radio Choir, the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, the Berlin Radio Choir, NDR Vokalensemble, Coro Casa da Musica and the BBC Singers.
Krista Audere (1989) graduated from Riga Dom choir school where she gained qualifications as a choir master and choral singer. She then attained the Bachelor’s degree in choral conducting at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music while enriching her musical experience at the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart. In 2016 Krista obtained the Masters diploma and graduated cum laude at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. As a singer she has collaborated with the Latvian Radio Choir and Cappella Amsterdam.
Krista Audere is a frequent jury member in conducting and choir competitions, as well as giving masterclasses on choral conducting.
Vaclovas Augustinas | Lithuania (1959)
Vaclovas Augustinas graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music in two disciplines – in 1981, he received a diploma in choral conducting in the class of Professor Hermanas Perelšteinas, and in 1992, a diploma in composition in the class of Professor Julius Juzeliūnas.
He was a vocalist and keyboard player in the rock bands Saulės laikrodis and Antis. Following the reunion of Antis (2007–2016), he continued to compose songs for the band and perform with it.
Since 1992, Vaclovas Augustinas has been the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Vilnius Municipality Choir Jauna muzika.
Since 2002, he has worked as a guest conductor with the Netherlands Radio Choir, the State Choir Latvija, the Polish Radio Choir, Formosa Singers in Taiwan, as well as numerous Lithuanian choirs. In 2015, he was a guest conductor at the Church Music Week of the Archdiocese of Cologne.
Since 1995, Vaclovas Augustinas has regularly collaborated with distinguished European choral music professionals, including Frieder Bernius, Werner Pfaff, Anders Eby, Simon Halsey, Erik Westberg, Hermann Max, Gary Graden, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Māris Sirmais, Bernie Sherlock, Stephen Layton and others, participating in choral conducting masterclasses in Vilnius together with the choir Jauna muzika.
Vaclovas Augustinas frequently serves as a jury member at international choral competitions, including the International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf (2014), the Latvian National Choir Competition of the Latvian Song Festival (2013, 2018, 2023), the World Choir Games (2014), and the Polish International Choir Competition Cantu gaudeamus (2017, 2021, 2022, 2024).
His compositions are regularly performed in Lithuania and abroad at festivals, concerts and choral competitions. Choral music constitutes the most significant and extensive part of his creative work. The works of Vaclovas Augustinas are published by Alliance Music Publications, Hinshaw Music, Musica Baltica and the Lithuanian Music Information Centre.
Since 2011, Vaclovas Augustinas has been a professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
He is a member of the Lithuanian Composers’ Union and the Lithuanian Choral Union.
In 2010, Vaclovas Augustinas was awarded Lithuania’s highest national honour in the field of culture and the arts – the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts.
Basilio Astulez Duque | Spain, Basque Country (1975)
Basilio Astulez Duque graduated in Fine Arts from the University of the Basque Country and studied music in Vitoria-Gasteiz. He trained as a choral conductor through the Basque choral federation and courses and seminars with conductors including Johan Duijck and Javier Busto.
He teaches Choral Singing at the Leioa Municipal Conservatory, where he founded Leioa Kantika Korala, as well as the mixed youth choir SJB. He is also the founder and conductor of the award-winning female chamber ensemble Vocalia Taldea. With his choirs he has made numerous recordings, toured internationally in Europe, America and Asia, and collaborated with prominent soloists, orchestras and conductors.
In 2008, Astulez received the special award for Best Conductor at the international competition in Gorizia, Italy, and in 2009 received the Best Conductor award at the Florilège Vocal de Tours in France.
He is regularly invited internationally as a teacher, clinician and jury member, giving courses, seminars and masterclasses in Europe, America and Asia. Since 2018, he has taught Choral Conducting at Musikene – Higher Conservatory of Music of the Basque Country. He also leads the Basque Youth Choir (EHGA).