News August 2013
Vladimir Opačić
Project Manager World Youth Choir Foundation
The Foundation World Youth Choir elects new President
The Foundation World Youth Choir is happy to announce that Håkan Wickström, representing the IFCM and Treasurer of this worldwide organization, was elected as the new President of the Foundation World Youth Choir. He succeeds Blasko Smilevski, the Secretary General of Jeunesses Musicales International, as President. The Board members thanked Mr. Smilevski for his constructive work on the consolidation of the Foundation during its first two years.
The Foundation World Youth Choir Board and Artistic Committee met in Grožnjan, Croatia on June 29th 2013, on the eve of Croatia’s accession to the European Union. The newly elected president will be supported by the other Board members who were partly elected to new positions: Rob van Waaijen, Netherlands (Board member and treasurer of JMI) – new Vice-President; Daphne Wassink, Netherlands (Board member of ECA-EC) – confirmed as Secretary; Treasurer, Sonja Greiner, Germany (Secretary General of ECA-EC); Blasko Smilevski, Macedonia (Secretary General of JMI) and Aarne Saluveer, Estonia (Board member of IFCM). The Board will also have the support of the Artistic Committee, with Theodora Pavlovitch, Bulgaria (IFCM) as Chair, Tonci Bilic, Croatia (JMI) and Carlo Pavese, Italy (ECA-EC).
The new Board and the Artistic Committee will work on further developing the Foundation’s strategy, increasing resources, improving recruitment procedures and relations with our partners and developing a steady visibility and marketing campaign of all activities.
World Youth Choir session 2014 announced
The meeting was held in Croatia due to the preparations for the 2014 summer session in Croatia organized by Jeunesses Musicales Croatia and the World Youth Choir Foundation, in cooperation with several partner organizations in South East Europe and in the frame of the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the World Youth Choir. The session will be followed by a tour, with concerts in Croatia and in other countries in the region (further details will be confirmed at the end of 2013).
- Dates: Minimum 3 weeks in July 2014 (to be confirmed at the end of 2013).
- Repertoire and conductors: two different parts, classical choral repertoire with a conductor from another region of Europe or the World, and Ethnically inspired music of western Balkans (academic and folklore) with a Croatian conductor (names and details to be confirmed at the end of 2013).
- Auditions for 2014: Continuous updates on recruitment process as well as the call for auditions 2014 will be announced in autumn 2013 to our recruitment partners directly and at www.worldyouthchoir.org/Audition2014/GeneralInfo.aspx.
Edited by Anna Shirley, UK