This is still sinking in…!
Leading Irish chamber choir New Dublin Voices has won the Grand Prix at the prestigious Budapest International Choir Competition.
The choir’s founder and conductor Bernie Sherlock also scooped the award for best conductor at the competition which featured 48 choirs from 15 different countries.
New Dublin Voices was the unanimous choice of all ten judges for First Prize, the first time this has happened in 10 years.
The choir travelled to Hungary having just won the inaugural ESB Feis Ceol Choir of the Year at the RDS in Dublin last month.
In the first round, New Dublin Voices beat choirs from the USA, Hungary, Norway and Serbia to come first in the chamber choir class and go through to the Grand Prix Final on Wednesday night.
The Grand Prix featured the winners from each of eight classes (male-voice, female-voice, large choir, children’s choir, etc) in the first round. All ten judges voted to give overall First Prize to New Dublin Voices.
Prize monies totalling €6000 from Budapest and Feis Ceol will allow the choir, which as yet receives no public or private funding, to take up one of only eight invitations issued to adult choirs to compete at the elite Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition in Germany in June.
About New Dublin Voices
New Dublin Voices, formed by conductor Bernie Sherlock in October 2005, is a non-professional chamber choir of 25 singers. The choir gives regular concerts in leading Irish venues featuring fresh and adventurous programming. Competitive successes include National Choir of the Year in 2006 and 2008 (Navan Choral Festival), several awards at the Cork International Choral Festival, including National Choir of the Festival in 2006, and numerous prizes at Dublin Feis Ceol prior to this year’s inaugural ESB Feis Ceol Choir of the Year. The choir is especially interested in the music of living composers and has given many Irish and world premieres.
About the Budapest International Choir Competition
This was the 12th running of the Budapest International Choir Competition which has taken place every two years since 1981. It is part of the wider Musica Mundi organisation which creates and maintains choral competitions around Europe and which in 2010 will host the 6th World Choir Games in China. This year’s jury panel comprised esteemed judges from Italy, Russia, Greece, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa as well as from Hungary.
For further information please contact Mike Dungan, 087 9902175, or Cliona Donnelly at clionadonnelly@hotmail.com
jay wilson :: music 
Hi i have good voice but i dont know where to go or where should i start from, i want to become a professional singer. I cant find any Singing competitions in ireland. I would appreciate if u could please tell me what should i do about it.
Kind Regards
Vrinda
0868410940
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Hi Vrinda,
You should look for a good singing teacher. Here is a website where you can search for music teachers: http://learnmusic.info/ A ‘good’ teacher for you will be someone who is experienced in teaching the style you want to sing (classical, pop…?) and who inspires you. Email a few people, talk to them on the phone, meet them if possible before you make your final decision. I hope that’s helpful 🙂
All the best,
Jay
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