Fourty years of ICB! Meet the Language Coordinators

 

Lore Auerbach – German-speaking team

Really, I’ve been an interpreter since birth. I was born in Amsterdam, a child of German parents who fled the Nazis. Later, we moved to England, so my early and school-age years were spent in two language worlds: German at home, and Dutch or English elsewhere. Later in Germany I was able to use my language capabilities often. In choir I was given the name “Interlore“ because I translated for our tours to England, and organized the return visits of our English counterparts. I helped finance my second music degree by working as a simultaneous interpreter at conferences. During my working life I translated occasionally for the Europa Cantat Magazine of the ECA-EC, and also for the ICB. Later, I did the editing for all German translations for the ICB, and 12 years ago I took on the coordination of the German edition.  It is an interesting task that has led to many contacts and email friendships with members of the translation team.

 

Barbara PISSANE – French-speaking coordinator

I am French with Italian roots, I was born and live in Lyon, France’s third largest city. I love early music, boat races, and dark chocolate. I used to sing in two choirs (early music and gospel) as a soprano. I have been collaborating with the IFCM since 2014, first as an English to French and Italian to French translator, and then since 2017 as the coordinator of the French team. I am always excited to see the content of the ICB with so many topics and artists. I am grateful to the translators of my team for their deep commitment in getting texts done on time. Before COVID we were already working remotely on several continents, so we have managed the recent period with relative ease. I also volunteer as a translator and proofreader for Translators without Borders.

 

Vania Romero – Spanish-speaking team

My name is Vania Romero, I’m Venezuelan but for the last four years I’ve been living in Buenos Aires. I got my bachelor’s degree in modern languages and a master’s degree in linguistics at the University of the Andes in Mérida. Following in my parents’ footsteps, since the age of 15 I’ve been part of several choirs, and studied singing at UNEARTE before leaving my country. Nearly two years ago, I made a change in the course of my professional career, and now work as a software developer. Since 2017 I’ve been Leo Garrido’s conducting assistant, and together we founded Ensamble Coral Zaperoco, a choir of Venezuelan immigrants living in Argentina. For almost ten years I’ve collaborated as a volunteer translator for IFCM, and since February I’ve been working as the Spanish Team Coordinator. Besides languages and music, my passions include memes and crochet. 

 

Laura Massey — English-speaking team

My name is Laura Massey and I am translator and proofreader living and working in Dorset in the south of England. I am a co-ordinator for the ICB for the English-language contributions, ensuring that they are translated and edited by a team of freelancers. My involvement with music goes back a long way. I started playing the violin aged 7 and also dabbled with the piano and the saxophone. As a teenager, I played the violin in the Suffolk Youth Orchestra and this opened up travel to me as the orchestra went on tour around Europe every year. At university in Oxford, I then started singing in choral ensembles which involved more European touring. It was important to my husband and me to pass on our love for music to our children.  My four children took up the baton as all of them now play one instrument or another.

 

Mirella Biagi – English-speaking team

Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, I moved to Italy after graduating from the University of Edinburgh in French and Italian. I now live in the Tuscan mountains in what has been labelled “The Most Scottish Town in Italy” with my two cats (Rosemary and Nepitella), partner and newborn baby boy. Professionally I work from my terrazza as a freelance translator, although I dedicate most of my time to running the local scout groups as District Commissioner and representing the Italian Scout Federation at international level. I also enjoy singing in the local choir, playing the clarinet in several amateur bands, gardening and pilates. I have been an ICB volunteer since 2013 and took over as English Language Coordinator in 2015.

Translated and Edited by Joshua Habermann, USA

 

Anna Bobrikova — Russian-speaking Team

Hi, I’m Anna, originally from St Petersburg, currently living in Turku, Finland. I’m an amateur choir singer and choral manager, a member of the Youth Committee of the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat, and, of course, a coordinator of the Russian translating team for the International Federation for Choral Music. Together with 5 other volunteers, I translate abstracts of International Choral Bulletin articles, newsletters of the IFCM, and other choral news from all over the world. We do our best to spread the word of international choral cooperation within the Russian-speaking choral community.

Edited by Richard Kutner, USA

 

Isabelle Métrope – Managing editor

Born in France, raised between Brittany and Provence, I have been living in Germany for almost 15 years, though I feel more at home in the Mediterranean area. I am a musician first and foremost, as well as an inveterate language freak. I got to know the ICB through the first “IFCM Forum Youth, Voice and Arts Management” back in 2008 – a historical event if ever there was one. Shortly thereafter, I joined the French translating team. I took over the French-speaking coordination around the same time, and kept it until my conducting studies took over my daily life. Last year, when I saw the vacancy for managing editor, I of course applied. Since then, I have been the happiest editor in the world, surrounded with an amazing team which you now know as well.

Translated and Edited by Joshua Habermann, USA