Cantarode International Festival 2023
This year’s CantaRode International Choir Festival will take place May 18-21, 2023.
Rehearsals for “Feel the Spirit”, the sing-along project, will begin on May 17, 2023.
“Singing is touching people with your happiness”
As the organizers of the CantaRode International Choir Festival we notice that time flies when you’re having fun. Lots of work is done; our program booklet is finished, the PR machine is starting to heat up, the volunteer meetings have been held and the regional concerts have all been arranged, with the help of some local choirs. So we are (almost) ready!
Tickets Openingsconcert en competition days
Tickets for the Openingsconcert and competition days are still available!
A ticket for the Openingsconcert is € 20,- and a ticket for the competition day costst € 10,-/day.
A passepartout for both the opening concert and both competition days costs € 30,-.
You can buy the tickets at www.plt.nl or at the Parkstad Limburg Theater (box office)
4 choirs are introducing themselves
Brussels Young Adult Choir – Belgium
The Brussels Young Adult Choir (BYAC) was founded in 2021. It is a high-level amateur choir of young adults from Brussels. The choir aims to make choral singing accessible to the general public without compromising the quality of interpretation. The bilingual choir has about 30 singers between the ages of 25 and 35 and is a reflection of its beautiful region: multilingual, multicultural, innovative and ambitious. The singers arrange everything themselves, from renting rehearsal space to choosing a conductor, selecting repertoire and organizing concerts. It explores a cappella choral music ranging from renaissance, romantic and contemporary repertoire to modern pop songs. Their only criterion is that they love the music they sing and are convinced that the audience will love it too. Johannes Dewilde is their conductor.
Women Chamber Choir Hera – The Netherlands
A passion for singing challenging music at a high level connects the 12-16 singers of women’s chamber choir Hera. The ensemble was founded in 2019 by conductor Raghna Wissink and from the first concert it is highly regarded with an interesting, multi-voiced, classical and contemporary a capella repertoire. The women of Hera differ in age and background and share a very broad singing and choral experience. They stimulate each other to take musical initiative, step outside their comfort zone and work hard together. In this way they know how to understand the sometimes complex music and convincingly convey it to their audience. Hera works intensively with Dutch composers and likes to be invited by special clients, including the Stolpersteine Foundation.
La Voce Choir – Malaysia
The choir was founded in April 2006 by 30 choral music lovers with the aim to promote choral music and bring the culture of Malaysian choral music to the international stage. Coached and conducted by Lim Hock Siong and Tang Hui Kung (conductor), La Voce Choir performs a wide repertoire of traditional, folk, classical as well as contemporaryarrangements, sung in a variety of local and foreign languages. Since 2012 La Voce Choir has participated in many international concerts and competitions in Korea, Japan and Spain, among others. In 2018, they received the golden diploma for both Mixed Voice and Male Voice category in The 16th Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod international choir festival in Malaysia.
TIG Choir – Hungary
The members of TIG Choir have been singing together since 2012 when the choir was founded at the Gödöllői Török Ignác Gimnázium. Today the choir consists of a number of graduates and current talented students. The members (students aged 14-22) of the choir originally come from different classes of the school, most of them with outstanding musical skills. They love the opportunities the choir provides them with and consider the choir as a milestone on our path to becoming lifelong participants in music. They enjoy singing a wide range of styles from folksongs to jazz, from swing to pop-rock pieces and have developed an understanding and appreciation of music from Hungarian and other cultures. Dóra Tápai, is founder and conductor of TIG.
We can use your help; become a volunteer!
On Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 April we organized two meetings for our volunteers in café de Wieëtsjaf Kerkrade. The meetings were well attended by both volunteers who have participated before and want to help again and by potential volunteers.
Jeroen Kleikers, board member, explained the entire program and which choirs are participating. The various volunteer tasks were also explained. After asking questions and exchanging tips, the evening was concluded over a drink.
Many attendees immediately signed up for one or more activities during the CantaRode festival.
Because of the large number of choirs participating in CantaRode 2023, we are still looking for extra help, especially for the choir accompaniment. So here’s another call. Did you miss the meeting and would you like to know more? Would you like to volunteer or do you know family, friends or acquaintances who would like to help during our beautiful festival? Sign up by sending a mail to info@cantarode.nl
Regional concerts
CantaRode has its home base in Kerkrade and would like to let the entire region enjoy beautiful choral music. A regular part of the festival is therefore a series of concerts that are given throughout the region.
Klooster Wittem
Address: Wittemer Allee 32, 6286 AB, Wittem
Start: 20:00 hrs
Entrance fee: € 15,-
Performers:
Eller Girl’s Choir, conductor Külli Lokko – Estonia
Vrouwenkamerkoor HERA, conductor Raghna Wissink – The Netherlands
University of Houston Concert Chorale, conductor Betsy Cook Weber – USA
Asta Theater Beek
Address: Markt 6a, 6191 JG Beek
Start: 20:00 hrs
Entrance fee: € 12,50 (at the venue € 15,-)
Performers:
Limburgse Koorschool; Kinderkoor Canticcolo, conductor Claudia Franzen – The Netherlands
Mannenkoor Beeker Liedertafel, conductor Dion Ritten – The Netherlands
Samford University A Capella Choir, conductor Philip L. Copeland – USA
Limburgse Koorschool; Jeugdkoor Cantarella, conductor Claudia Franzen – The Nederlands
La Voce Choir, conductor Tang Hui Kung – Malaysia
Cultuurhuis Landgraaf
Address: Veldstraat 21, 6372 AX Landgraaf
Start: 19:30 hrs
Entrance fee: € 10,-
Performers:
Landgraafs Mannenkoor, conductor Jules Luesink – The Netherlands
Cantus Firmus, conductor Hélène Richardeau – Belgium
Chamber Choir Sophia, conductor Oleksii Shamritskyi – Ukraine
Kopermolen Vaals
Address: Von Clermontplein 11, 6291 AT Vaals
Start: 20:00 hrs
Entrance fee: € 12,00 (friends from de Kopermolen € 10,-)
Performers:
Damkören Korallerna, conductor Linda Alexandersson – Sweden
TIG Choir, conductor Dóra Tápai – Hungary
Nefesch Vokalensemble – Germany, conductor Constanze Pitz
Laurentiuskerk Voerendaal
Address: Kerkplein 37, 6367 EN Voerendaal
Start: 20:00 hrs
Entrance fee: € 10,00
Performers:
MoKla Vocaal Ensemble, conductor Ute Jobes – The Netherlands
Brussels Young Adult Choir, conductor Johannes Dewilde – Belgium
Stockholms MusikgymnasiumYouth Choir 2023, conductor Helene Stureborg – Sweden
Usmev Choir – Slovakia, conductors Anezka Balušinská & Daniela Januchová
Pré CantaRode concert Chamber Choir Sophia (Kiev)
On Wednesday 17 May, a pre CantaRode concert will take place in Venray in the Sint-Petrus’ Bandenkerk, Monseigneur Goumansplein in Venray. The concert will start at 20:00 hrs.
The concert will be graced by chamber choir Sophia from Kiev (Ukraine) conducted by Oleksii Shamritskyi and by Vocal Group Transparant conducted by Ron Hanssen.
The organisation is in the hands of Venray’s Male Voice Choir and Mr Ed Smeets of VNK Limburg.
Entrance is free; free gift.
You will find the complete program (from day to day) and all other information about our festival on
www.cantarode.nl Tickets can be bought via Tickets – Cantarode – Cantarode
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Listen, enjoy and sing with us and Experience Kerkrade!
