From April 29 to May 2, 2026, the magnificent Italian city of Rimini once again became the global capital of choral art. For over five years now, the hearts of choral music lovers have beaten faster here on the Adriatic coast. By tradition, we gathered once more in the historic and inspiring atmosphere of the Tarkovskij Theater (Teatro Tarkovskij) to celebrate harmony and vocal excellence.
Scale and Geography: Over 600 Voices from Around the Globe
This year, our festival family grew incredibly, bringing together more than 600 participants. The expansion of the competition’s geography was a true triumph. Organizers were honored to welcome exceptional choirs from all across Europe: Lithuania, Turkiye, Greece, Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. We were especially thrilled to welcome participants who traveled from across the ocean — all the way from the USA.
The jury and the audience were immersed in a spectacular 9-hour musical marathon. Throughout the day, the stage resonated with masterfully performed world sacred music, famous pop/jazz hits, and colorful national folklore songs that revealed the unique cultural heritage of each nation.In total, the expert panel evaluated 18 unique 15-minute performances across 9 diverse categories.
Distinguished International Jury
The foundation of “World of Choirs” remains its highly objective, professional, and transparent evaluation system. This year, the vocal mastery of the participants was analyzed by an outstanding international panel consisting of leading professionals from the Italian and global choral world:
- Maestro Massimiliano Messieri – A world-renowned Italian composer and conductor, Artistic Director of the MASKFEST, and a professor at the San Marino Conservatory. A winner of international competitions in New York and Miami, he is a true visionary of modern art who has even collaborated with NASA to turn space sounds into music.
- Maestro Maurizio Guernieri – A multifaceted musician, composer, and conductor with a brilliant academic background. Winner of the World Championship in Composition in Vienna and the prestigious Abbado Award, he is a celebrated expert in both choral direction and orchestral composition.
- Maestro Andrea Angelini – Renowned as a conductor, composer, and pianist, he honed his mastery at the Pesaro, Adria, and Cesena Conservatories, the Academy of Arts in Rome, and Oakham School (UK). He is the founder and artistic director of the Musicaficta Association, which has been actively developing choral art in Italy and abroad since 2000.
Participating Choirs and Ensembles
The competitive program impressed with its variety of ensembles and choral schools. The participants of “World of Choirs 2026” included:
- East Jackson High School Mastery Chorale (USA) — conductor: Dr. Todd Chandler
- Chamber Mixed Choir “Kristale” of Kretinga Cultural Center (Lithuania) — conductor: Kristina Rimienė
- Czech Budweis Youth Choir CARMÍNA (Czech Republic) — conductor: Jitka Šimková
- Mixed Choir “Eptachordi Lyra” St. Efthimios (Greece) — conductor: Chris Tsimouri
- Jitřenka (Czech Republic) — conductor: Elvira Gadžijeva
- Stockholm University Choir (Sweden) — conductor: Alexander Damsgaard
- Mixed vocal ensemble “Kristale” (Lithuania) — conductor: Kristina Rimienė
- The Malmö Academy of Music Women’s Choir (Sweden) — conductor: Lena Ekman Frisk
- Les Voix-Ci, Les Voix-Là (France) — conductor: Julien Gassmann
- İELEV Özel 125. Yıl Ortaokulu Korosu (Turkiye) — conductor: Gamze Yeğmen
- Vocal Group “Morski Zvezdichki” (Bulgaria) — conductor: Dimitar Yordanov
Competition Results and the Grand Prix
The absolute culmination of the evening was the highly anticipated Grand Award Ceremony, where every choir received well-deserved international recognition.
The absolute triumphant of the festival and the winner of the Grand Award was the Stockholm University Choir (Sweden), led by conductor Alexander Damsgaard. Competing in the pop / jazz / gospel category, the Swedish choir delivered a phenomenal performance, earning a perfect score of 100 out of 100 points from all jury members!
| Stockholm University Choir / SWEDEN conductor: Alexander Damsgaard | pop – jazz – gospel | GRAND PRIX |
| The Malmö Academy of Music Women’s Choir / SWEDEN conductor: Lena Ekman Frisk | world sacred music | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| MIXED CHOIR “EPTACHORDI LYRA” St. Efthimios / GREECE conductor: Chris Tsimouri, accompanist: Theodora Tsigkou | world sacred music | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Stockholm University Choir / SWEDEN conductor: Alexander Damsgaard | mixed choir | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Jitřenka / CZECH REPUBLIC conductor: Elvira Gadžijeva, accompanist: Tereza Mentová | children’s choir | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| East Jackson High School Mastery Chorale / USA conductor: Dr. Todd Chandler | youth choirs of mixed voices | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Czech Budweis Youth Choir CARMÍNA / CZECH REPUBLIC conductor: Jitka Šimková, accompanist: Sergey Perepeliatnyk | youth choirs of equal voices | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Mixed vocal ensemble “Kristale” / LITHUANIA conductor: Kristina Rimienė | academic singing | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Czech Budweis Youth Choir CARMÍNA / CZECH REPUBLIC conductor: Jitka Šimková, accompanist: Sergey Perepeliatnyk | folklore | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| VOCAL GROUP “MORSKI ZVEZDICHKI” / BULGARIA teacher: Dimitar Yordanov | folklore | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Jitřenka / CZECH REPUBLIC conductor: Elvira Gadžijeva, accompanist: Ruslan Alentjev | world sacred music | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| Chamber Mixed Choir “Kristale” of Kretinga Cultural Center / LITHUANIA conductor: Kristina Rimienė | world sacred music | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| Czech Budweis Youth Choir CARMÍNA / CZECH REPUBLIC conductor: Jitka Šimková, accompanist: Sergey Perepeliatnyk | world sacred music | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| Chamber Mixed Choir “Kristale” of Kretinga Cultural Center / LITHUANIA conductor: Kristina Rimienė | academic singing | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| The Malmö Academy of Music Women’s Choir / SWEDEN conductor: Lena Ekman Frisk | female choirs | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| MIXED CHOIR “EPTACHORDI LYRA” St. Efthimios / GREECE conductor: Chris Tsimouri, accompanist: Theodora Tsigkou | folklore | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| İELEV ÖZEL 125. YIL ORTAOKULU KOROSU / TURKIYE conductor: Gamze YEĞMEN, accompanist: KAAN YOLDAŞ, GÜLŞAH ÖZKEFELİ, NAZ TURAN | folklore | Bronze diploma from 70 to 79 points |
| Les Voix-Ci, Les Voix-Là / FRANCE conductor: Julien GASSMANN, accompanist: Aloys CASIN | pop – jazz – gospel | Bronze diploma from 70 to 79 points |
Sacred music concert
For the second consecutive year, we were thrilled to organize an additional sacred music concert for our choirs at the historic Tempio Malatestiano cathedral. However, this year presented us with unforeseen challenges, as the cathedral’s administration granted the final performance permit with a significant delay.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the choirs who patiently waited for their turn to take the stage, and we completely understand and respect the choices of those who, due to the exhausting schedule, were unable to stay for the late start.
Ultimately, the concert was a beautiful success—resonating within the ancient walls of the church and receiving enthusiastic, warm Italian applause from the congregation and parishioners. It stood as a powerful testament to the resilience of our artists and the unifying power of choral music.
The “World of Choirs 2026” festival in Rimini once again proved that the power of the human voice knows no borders, bringing together continents and creating true cultural harmony. We extend our deepest gratitude to all conductors for the exceptional preparation of their ensembles, and to the participants for their unforgettable energy and pure passion for music.
See you at the next “World of Choirs” festival in beautiful Italy!
Do you want to participate in the International Choir Contest “World of Choirs” 2027? Then follow the link and submit your application to participate!