Introduction of overseas participants

　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　String Ensemble

　　　　　VIVAlini　(Russia)

The ensemble was founded in 2002. In 2005 it became the winner of “The Krasnoyarsk open festival-contest of ensemble and orchestra music”, and that same year it won the diploma of the 2^nd regional festival-contest of ensemble and orchestra music.

The art-director of the ensemble is the violin class teacher of the Krasnoyarsk College of Arts Voytina Elena. Her students and students of viola class teacher Dimitrik Galina (the ensemble’s managing director) has been playing in the “VIVAlini”. The ensemble’s repertoire includes different compositions of A. Mimaldi, J.S.Bach, A. Dvorak, G. Handel, M.Tariverdiyev, A. Piazzolla, S. Slonimsky and many others.

The ensemble frequently gives concerts in Krasnoyarsk. In 2002 the group soloists took part in the concert held in Moscow in the concert hall “Russia”. The soloist and the leader of the ensemble – Yulia Romanova is the laureate of the 3^rd prize of the international contest “Naidal 2005” in Ulan-Ude city and the laureate of the 2^nd prize of all-russian festival-contest of chamber music “Siberian chamber assemblys” in 2007 in Krasnoyarsk.

In February 2008 the ensemble “VIVAlini” performed successfully on international festival-contest “Window to Europe” in Sait-Petersburg, Russia and won the 1^st prize. As a winner the ensemble was invited to take part in the 7^th international festival-contest “Zamkowe Lato Artystyczne” in Polland in July, 2008.

　　　　　The Violin Sparks (Sweden)

A group of young violinists led and founded by Nina Balabina and Hugo Ticciati. The Violin Sparks has over the last two years performed extensively in Sweden in the most prestigious concert halls, notably the Konserthuset. The ensemble has also made successful tours in Italy and Estonia. In February 2008 it was invited to China to give concerts to celebrate the New Year, playing in, among other halls, the Shanghai Oriental Centre for Arts. Coming tours include ones in Denmark, England and Egypt. The repertoire of the group is eclectic, encompassing works from all periods stretching from the Baroque to the likes of Piazzola.

　　　　　　　Band

　　　　　University of Guam Jazz Band　(U.S.A.)

The University of Guam Jazz Band has been in existence since 1995. The group consists of University of Guam music students and the co-directors of the group, Dr. Stephen Bednarzyk and Dr. Randall Johnson; both are University of Guam Music Department Faculty. As part of the music curriculum at the university, members play a variety of different musical styles from Funk and Latin to Big Band, Blues and Swing. Over the past several years The University of Guam Jazz Band has performed at hundreds venues and events, and most notably was invited to be a part of the 2003 Shizuoka Music Festival. Other appearances have included the 2002 Gubernatorial Inauguration in Saipan, the (2002) 30^th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay, the 2006 visit to Guam of the Ocean University (Wakai Nekko no Kai), the 2007 Tumon Bay Music Festival in Guam and the 2008 Guam Women’s Club Mardi Gras Celebration. Additionally, the band performs each December at the Annual Seaside Concert sponsored by the Guam Symphony Society and at all of the University of Guam Music Department Concerts.

Many of the members of the group are also active in the musical life of Guam, performing in various school and community musicals and in smaller jazz combos for special events. Co-director Dr. Randall Johnson has used the saxophone section of the band to form a unique group called The Safe Sax Quintet, which has become incredibly popular around the island of Guam. The band has worked closely with composer and arranger Morgan Winthorp, with his arrangement of Lupin the III premiered by the band at the 2003 JIYM.

　　　　　National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand　(N.Z.)

The National Youth Brass Band is a band consisting of New Zealand's most talented young brass and percussion musicians. The band members are all under twenty-three years of age and are selected from nation-wide auditions. There is no automatic selection for a place in the band, as each player must audition annually with Musical Director Kevin Moseley (Musical Director of Marlborough & Districts Brass Band).

It wasn’t until 1998 that the current format and the Summer course became an annual event with guest artists and tours in different islands. This regularity has meant the standards have also risen dramatically with many of the most technical music written for brass band and orchestra now being performed with aplomb.

Many band members have gone on to professional careers in services bands, the NZ Symphony Orchestra, professional conducting and of course the National Band of New Zealand.

During the past seven years, the National Youth Brass Band training programme has developed a successful formula that both challenges and encourages our young musicians. Band members participate in a five-day training course followed by a concert tour to a different part of New Zealand.

The annual Summer Courses have been an outstanding success both musically and profile wise for the brass band movement in New Zealand. The band has undertaken some ambitious tours to include the main centres, holiday resort towns and even vineyards, always with a loyal following and with an emphasis on having a lot of fun in the music making.

Since 1998 the National Youth Brass Band members have been fortunate to be tutored by some of the best players from New Zealand’s top brass bands and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. They have all had the opportunity to work with outstanding quest soloist’s. These include Robert Childs (euphonium), Simone Rebello (percussion), and Nick Hudson (trombone) all from England as well as Clyde Dixon, Phillip Johnston and Piki McDonnell of New Zealand. In 2001 Ray Farr, a renowned Britis composer and conductor now living in Norway, was the guest musical director of our National Youth Brass Band.

　　　　　　　Chorus

　　　　CHILDREN’S CHOIR LARK (Czech)

The Children Choir Lark was established in 1977 by Zdeňka Vrbová. It comprises 118 children aged from 5 to 20. Children are divided into two groups, Concert choir, currently comprising of 58 members, and preparatory choir with 60 young singers.
The Repertoire is very varied. The Choir interprets compositions of nearly all styles and periods. Music by classical and world composers such as Mozart, Smetana, Verdi, Dvořák, Janáček, Martinů, Lukáš, Eben and others, folk songs, children chorus compositions, spirituals and standards.

The choir is very active not only in its region. We are often invited to various festivals and competitions in the Czech Republic and abroad. Up to the present day, the children have sung in eight European countries. Our most notable success is winning 1st place at International Choir Competition in Veldhoven, Holland (2001) and a bronze medal at the International Choir Festival "Orlando di Lasso" in Vatican City (1998). The biggest success so far, is the Absolute Winner title from the international choir competition “Europe and its Songs” in Barcelona 2006. The choir was awarded the golden medal for the 1^st place in young choir category and a cup for the absolute winner of the competition attended by 9 choirs from Europe and 1 from California.

In the academic year of 2007/2008, we had the opportunity to sing in Los Angesles to celebraate its 30^th anniversary. We presented works of Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorak, Leos Janacek, etc. The choir also presented the Moravian folklore performed in beautiful national costumes with special choreography.

The conductor is Mrs. Zdeňka Vrbová, who has been awarded the conductor’s prize for her contribution to the Czech choir singing. The artistic leader and advisor of the choir is Prof. Miloslav Bucet. The pianist is Mgr. Tatiana Kekelyova.

The Lark Choir has recorded several CDs in co-operation with other musical bodies and also issues records of its concerts on compact discs.

Combined Chamber Choir of San Gabriel Valley & East Valley Children Choruses (U.S.A.)

The San Gabriel Valley Children Chorus (founded in 1998) is located in the city of Temple City and East Valley Children Chorus (founded in 1990) is in the city of Walnut. Both groups are based in Los Angeles, USA under the direction of Mr. Samuel Lin.

This group is formed with American Chinese children. Over the years, the group has offered many opportunities to the social economically less privileged people to learn and enjoy music, and shared with the surrounding communities the cross cultural diffusion of musical traditions while the choir children are trained in their pursuit of musical enrichment and excellence.

This group employs a rich repertoire, which covers Motets of the Renaissance period, classical master works, contemporary choral works, folk songs and musicals. Besides the regular annual concert and charity performances, their recent major accomplishments include the opera “The Travel of a Little Balloon” at the Luckman Fine Art Complex in Los Angeles, joint concert with the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Chorus ｆrom Taiwan, and joint concert with the Czech Children Lark Choir from Zidlochovice, Czech Republic. Many of the children have had concert tour experiences nationwide. They’ve been performing at the neighbor cities, and at San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, New York, Washington D.C., Hawaii, and China. They have been invited many times in participating in the annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration event. They are the popular candidate of this main stream music event commissioned by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

The chorus has proven its superb quality not only through beautiful harmony, colorful tone quality, sensitive musicality, but also by demonstrating its unique way of appreciating and interpreting music of all origins and times.

　　　　　CHORUS VERDIANEUM (Italy)

This choir was born in 2004 from the union of two different regional musical groups (“Parma choir” and “Coro di voci Bianche della Fondazione teatro comunale di Bologna”). The original choirs have offered an experience of more than ten years of performance in concerts and operas. The choir is composed of 40 elements. It dedicates itself to the repertoire of north European music (English) and Italian opera music, with a particular attention to the Italian folk music. It usually exhibits with the accompaniment of a piano, except for the piece by Giusppe Verdi: Laudi alla Vergine.

The group had concerts in the major Italian Cities and took part for eight years in the “Pavarotti and Friends” live concert that was broadcast on the national television channels.

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