- Vienna University Choir
All three choirs are well-known for their high level of quality and the variety and diversity of their music repertoire.
Apart from daily live music and the numerous live performances of Austrian bands, the choir festival constitutes another musical highlight realised by the Austrian pavilion for the EXPO visitors.
Vienna University Choir at the Shanghai World Expo Music Festival
Side to side with the Royal Danish Academy of Music, the University Choir is the only European University choir performing on the occasion of the “Shanghai World Expo Music Festival“. The other choirs performing are mainly from universities in China, Australia, UK and the USA, among these the choirs from Yale, Harvard, and Oxford.
The Viennese University Choir with its about 400 active members is one of the biggest Austrian choirs. Two of the five choir groups will travel to Shanghai, these being the Symphonic Choir and the Chamber Choir; apart from songs pertaining to Austrian classics and folk music there will also be performed some Chinese folk songs.
Kärntner Doppelsextett – Traditional Choir from the South of Austria
The Kärntner Doppelsextett is one of the most famous folk music ensembles in Austria. The choir with its 15 members has its origin in Austria’s southernmost province, Carinthia; the choir is especially known for its role as ambassadors of the traditional Carinthian songs. Furthermore, they have a rather comprehensive repertoire, comprising classic music as well international songs and evergreens. The Kärntner Doppelsextett, which has already in the year 1991 on the Chinese Great Wall invited the Chinese audience to sing, will not only perform at the Expo in Shanghai but rather also in the partner cities of the Expo Austria, Nanjing, Taicang and Kunshan. As a special tribute to their audience, they have included two Chinese songs into the programme they are going to present.
Children’s and Youth Choir of the Singakademie Graz Liebenau – Best Youth Choir in Austria
The 20 young singers between 10 and 18 years of age are pupils of the Youth and Children’s Academy which has been educating and training talented young singers for more than 15 years. The choir has won numerous international awards and is one of the best choirs of the young generation in Europe; it will participate as winner of the Austrian-wide competition in the category “Youth Choir“ at the international Choir Olympics in China. The young singers with their love for music will present Austrian choir music as well as world music in the Austrian pavilion.
Programme
Vienna University Choir
July 9, Expo Site/ Exposition Square: 10am/ 8pm
Kärntner Doppelsextett
Juli 13, Nanjing/ Xi He Wanda Plaza: 7:30pm
Juli 16, Taicang/ Central Theater of Taicang Youth Activity Center
18 Dongcang Road: 7:30pm
Juli 17, Kunshan: time tbc
Juli 18, Expo Site/ Expo Europe Square: 2pm
Youth Choir Singakademie Graz-Liebenau
Juli 14, Expo Site/ Österreich-Pavillon: 11am
Austria as Educational Centre
There is one thing that the many musicians performing on the occasion of the Expo in Shanghai have in common: They have all received their musical education and training in Austria.
The country in the core of Europe is well-acclaimed for the quality of its educational system, especially in the fields of arts and music. Universities like the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the University of Music in Vienna have acquired a centuries long tradition and have educated and trained students from all over the world. Currently, there are taught about 250 young pupils from China at Austrian Universities of Music.
Musical training may already be started at a very early age: Elementary schools with special focus on musical training and later on secondary schools with special musical education as well as public and private music schools offer their services to children aged 6 and up. Educational centres in the urban as well as rural areas provide for an exhaustive network. In all nine Austrian provincial capitals there are established music universities and conservatories offering bachelor programmes of 3 years, master programmes of 2 years as well as doctoral studies in the subjects instrumental / voice / musical pedagogics / composition and conducting.
Links:
www.kaerntnerdoppelsextett.com
Universities of Music in Austria:
www.mdw.ac.at (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna)
http://www.kug.ac.at/ (University of Music and Performing Arts Graz)
http://www.moz.ac.at/ (University Mozarteum Salzburg)
