Aarne Saluveer (Estonia)
Aarne Saluveer – estonian conductor, producer, educator has served choral world as Board member of IFCM, Estonian Choral Association and Music Council, Council of World Choir Games, Artistic Director/Founder of Estonian Television Girl’s Choir and Children‘ choirs, Principal of Tallinna Georg Ots Music College etc.
Grand Prix and awards:
- Arezzo, Gorizia, Tolosa, European Broadcast Union radio-live competition „Let the People Sing“, Pohlheim etc.
- educator and producer, juror and guest conductor for choral and orchestral projects – masterclasses, atelies, presentations / World Music Forum, IFCM World Symposium, ACDA, Polyfollia, Europa Cantat, Cheltenham Festival/UK, Singapore Youth Festival, Hongkong TCF, Zimrija/Israel etc.
- worked with ETV Children’s Choir with Michael Jackson in “HiStory World Tour”,
- conductor one of the world biggest – Estonian Song Celebration Choir with 25 000 singers in front of audience more than 100 000 people.
- TV- and radio productions and recordings incl. Eurovision Song Contest, RAI UNO World Christmas Concert, BBC, West Deutsche Rundfunk, Danish Radio, finnish, latvian and russian TV-channels, Estonian National Broadcast etc.
- premiers and recordings music of Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Eric Whitacre, Roxanna Panufnik/Warner Classics, Urmas Sisask and many other contemporary composers in prestigious venues – Lincoln Center/New York, St.Paul’s Church/London, St. Peterburg Great Hall of Tschaikovsky, Shanghai Oriental Art Center etc.
- Artistic Director of HM Elizabeth II and Their Majesties Japanese Emperor and Empress State Visit Concerts, European Film Awards TV-live Gala
- Order of the White Star of the Republic of Estonia
- Arezzo Foundation‘s Guidoneum Award/Italy,
- Prize of the UNICEF Estonian National Committee in 2002 and 2007
- Musician of the Year by Estonian Public National Broadcast and conductor of the Year by Estonian Choral Association
Theodora Pavlovitch (Bulgaria)
THEODORA PAVLOVITCH is a Professor in choral conducting and Head of Conducting Department at the Bulgarian National Academy of Music. She is also a lecturer at Sofia University. Her artistic career started in 1986 when she worked as choir-master of the Bulgarian National TV-choir contributing to many TV-programs, live concerts and recordings. In 1991 she became conductor of the Sofia Chamber Choir called upon her teacher Prof. Vassil Arnaoudov. With this choir she won prestigious awards at international competitions, took part in many high-level international festivals, in TV and radio-programs, concert tours in 22 countries. Since 2005 Theodora Pavlovitch is a permanent conductor of Classic FM Radio Mixed Choir performing different styles of music in a collaboration with Classic FM Radio Orchestra. In 2007/2008 she conducted the World Youth Choir, honoured by UNESCO with the title Artist for Peace, recognizing the WYC’s success as a platform for intercultural dialogue through music. Prof. Theodora Pavlovitch is frequently invited as a member of Jury-panels at a number of international choral competitions, as a conductor and a lecturer at prestigious international events in 25 European countries and Russia,USA, Japan , China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel. In 2005 she led a Master class for choral conductors in the program of the 7th World Symposium on Choral Music in Kyoto, Japan.
For her artistic achievements, Prof. Theodora Pavlovitch has been awarded:
– Golden Century – a special Prize given by the Ministry of Culture of Republic Bulgaria (2016);
– Prize “The Hearth of Sofia” given by the Sofia Municipality and the
Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (2016);
– Golden Lyre given by the professional Union of Bulgarian Musicians ( 2012);
– Golden Book of the Council of the European Scientific and Cultural
societies (2012);
– Special Prizes of the Bulgarian Choir’s Union and Classic FM Radio.
Leon Tong (Hong Kong – China)
Prof. Leon Tong (Hong Kong, China)
“I have a dream – to share love and peace with the world through music exchange.”
President, World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association
Artistic Director & President of the Organizing Committee,
World Choir Festival and World Youth & Children’s Choir Festival – Hong Kong
Former First Vice-President, International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM)
Founder and President, Hong Kong Treble Choirs’ Association
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Hong Kong Treble Choir
Former Music Director and Principal Conductor, Hong Kong Children’s Choir
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Guangzhou Children’s Palace Choir
Chair Professor, Xihua University
Visiting Professor, Tianjin University, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanxi Normal University, Sichuan University of Media and Communications
Founder and President of World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association (WYCCAA), Former First Vice-President of International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM), Prof. Leon Shiu-wai Tong is an internationally renowned choral expert, conductor, speaker, juror, and curator of world-class choral festivals. Currently the Artistic Director of Guangzhou Children’s Palace Choir, China, Tong was former Music Director & Principal conductor of the Hong Kong Children’s Choir (-1997) and Artistic Director & Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Treble Choir (-2020).
As President and Chairman of the Artistic Committee, Tong has organized many global events with WYCCAA, including the 2019 World Choral Conducting Competition, World Youth & Children’s Choir Festival (in 2019, 2017 & 2015), 2018 Belt & Road World Choir Festival, and the Hong Kong International Youth & Children’s Choir Festival (in 2013, 2011, 2008 & 2006). In 2008, he curated with the Olympic Committee of Hong Kong “The World Sings for Olympics” concert, in which the World Youth Choir (whose choristers came from over 36 countries and regions) was also invited to perform. Respectively in 1998 & 2001, with the Hong Kong Treble Choir Association, he organised the 1st and 2nd “China International Children’s Choir Festival & World Symposium for Children’s Choral Music”, which were followed by the World Children’s Choir Festival and the world-renowned Songbridge Programme in 2005.
He is also frequently invited to adjudicate at internationally acclaimed choral festivals and competitions, including competitions under the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing Association, and was the only foreign juror at the 67th NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition. As an expert who currently holds several guest professorships in a number of universities in China, Tong has received a number of awards for his contribution to choral music nationally and internationally, including the China Treble Choir Contribution Award in 2004 (from China Chorus Association) and the Award for Arts Achievement (Music) in 2007 (from Hong Kong Arts Development Council).
