From July 7th to 12th, the sunny town of Lloret de Mar (Spain) hosted the international talent contests Voices of Costa Brava and Sea Sun Festival. This year, the event brought together participants from 10 countries, highlighting its growing popularity and importance in the international cultural scene. More than 30 groups and solo performers showcased their talents in various artistic genres, ranging from choreography to vocal and instrumental music. You can watch the live broadcast of the Gala concert on our official YouTube channel.
The festival featured artists from 10 different countries, representing a wide range of cultural traditions and styles. Over 30 contestants competed for the title of the best in their categories, impressing the judges with not only their technical skills but also their creativity. The jury was composed of renowned artists and professionals from different countries who evaluated the participants based on various criteria: artistry, originality, performance technique, and genre compliance.
Vocalists and instrumentalists were judged by professionals from the global music scene:
- Joan Carles Capdevila Torné: Arranger, composer, studio singer, member of “a cappella” groups, and instrumentalist in various musical ensembles. He also works in advertising and teaches in the field of Musical Theater. In the classical field, he participates in choral singing, opera, orchestration, and symphonic arrangements.
- Noelia Mora: Professional singer with a versatile voice that excels in Opera, Pop, Musical, Romantic Song, Ballad, and Folk. She is passionate about singing.
- John Hooper: Musician, Conductor, Composer, and Doctor of Musical Arts in the field of choral music. Most recently, he served as an examiner for the London College of Music through the University of West London.
Representatives of the choreographic genre were judged by members of the jury from a world-class dance school. The jury members were specially selected to encompass the diversity of dance genres and the performance techniques of the competition participants.
- Marcos Martinez: A highly regarded national and international Hip Hop trainer, choreographer, and artist with an impressive portfolio of television shows and events.
- Yulia Kruglyak: The first Slavic flamenco performer in Spain, who has 30 years of stage experience and has gained great recognition. She is a successful choreographer who conducts master classes in flamenco and teaches new dancers.
- David Dzhaparidze: The President and founder of the Spanish festival committee Fiestalonia Milenio. Director of the Fiestalonia International Center in London. Member of the jury of the most prestigious competitions in the world.
The festival began on July 7th with a meeting between the competition participants and the event organizers. In the following days, contestants presented their programs in categories such as vocals, choreography, and instrumental music. Each performance was evaluated considering the participants’ age and skill level, allowing for fair award distribution and recognition of the best.
The festival concluded with a grand gala concert featuring the winners and laureates of the competition. Unfortunately, the Grand Prix of the festival remained in the hands of the organizers this season. The full list of winners can be found in the table below.
| Kazakeeva Anabel / UZBEKISTAN – “Don’t mean a thing” Cahaya Lovisa / INDONESIA – “Man In The Mirror”, “Scars To Your Beautiful” Kateryna Paliienko / UKRAINE – “Je veux”, “Tam de Ja” Marioné Engelbreght / SOUTH AFRICA – “You Say” Maria Chernykh / FRANCE – “Dream on”, “Blues in the night” Anatolii Khandeldy / UKRAINE – “Black eyebrows, brown eyes” | Vocal | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Matthias Bonavia – La Voix Studios / MALTA – “Hard Knock Life”, “Un Poco Loco” Miktiana Azzopardi – La Voix Studios / MALTA – “Wish you were somehow here again” Niklas Huck / GERMANY – “The Bird of Happiness” Maya Estelle Reichert / GERMANY – “Die Biene Maja”, “I Will” Sultanova Afina / UZBEKISTAN – “Hava Nagila” Kazakeeva Anabel / UZBEKISTAN – “Simply the best” Keziah Cachia – La Voix Studios / MALTA – “Cover me in sunshine” Ayvazov Artyom / UZBEKISTAN – “Bezprisornik” Marioné Engelbreght / SOUTH AFRICA – “L.O.V.E.”, “This Is Me”, “Before He Cheats” Maria Chernykh / FRANCE – “Mercedes’ prayer” Anatolii Khandeldy / UKRAINE – “Natalka Poltaka” | Vocal | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| Maya Estelle Reichert / GERMANY – “Potancyem-Poshalim”, “Hey, DJ!”, “Oh, malchishechka-patcan” Ayvazova Arina / UZBEKISTAN – “Sunny – Boney M”, “I would like to sing” Bulakh Stefaniya / UZBEKISTAN – “Dance Monkey”, “Arcade” Niklas Huck / GERMANY – “Grass by the Home” Keziah Cachia – La Voix Studios / MALTA – “A Million Dreams” Ayvazov Artyom / UZBEKISTAN – “Show must go on” Sultanova Afina / UZBEKISTAN – “Rolling” Vocal Ensemble (Quartet ) “ZHIBEK” / KAZAKHSTAN – “I Feel the Rhythm” Anatolii Khandeldy / UKRAINE – “No one sleeps”, “Careless angel” | Vocal | Bronze diploma from 70 to 79 points |
| Kateryna Paliienko / UKRAINE (piano) | Instrumental groups and soloists | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| Philippe Meunier / CANADA (guitar) | Instrumental groups and soloists | Diploma of participation |
| Junior Cie / BELGIUM – “Uninvited” Cie Ph/f/ase / BELGIUM – “O Fortuna” Mini Dance World & Praimfaya / ROMANIA – “Que Dolor” Folk Ensemble „Bucur” USAMV Bucharest / ROMANIA – “Suite of popular dances from Muntenia County” Dream Team & Dance World Junior / ROMANIA – “This Is America” | Choreographic groups and soloists | Golden diploma from 90 to 99 points |
| Phebe De Witte / BELGIUM – “Toi” The Lollipops / ROMANIA – “She`s on my mind” Megan Coetzee / SOUTH AFRICA – “Halo” B.T.B.(b) Crew / BELGIUM – “Urban Thunder”, “Fenty Fusion” Elite Dance Studio / SPAIN – “Sweet but Spicy” Cie Ph/f/ase / BELGIUM – “Stand by Me”, “Queens Ball” Junior Cie / BELGIUM – “Animal” DUO: Sare Rondelez & Phebe De Witte / BELGIUM – “Monsieur-Madame” | Choreographic groups and soloists | Silver diploma from 80 to 89 points |
| Megan Coetzee / SOUTH AFRICA – “Bruises”, “We On Top”, “Talk Of The Town” | Choreographic groups and soloists | Bronze diploma from 70 to 79 points |
In addition to the competition program, participants had the opportunity to enjoy cultural events and excursions around Lloret de Mar and its surroundings, which helped strengthen international ties and exchange cultural experiences.
The Viva Costa Brava 2024 festival-competition has become a significant event in the world of art, bringing together talented performers from all over the world. The organizers expressed hope that future festivals will be just as successful and continue to maintain a high level of cultural exchange and creative interaction.
We thank all participants, organizers, and partners for the successful execution of the festival and look forward to seeing everyone at the next event!
Do you want to participate in the International Vocal Contest “Voices of Costa Brava” 2025? Then follow the link and submit your application to participate!
