FAQ
How can my choir apply to participate in the Kantorei Choral Festival?
Registration will open on Wednesday, September 27, 2024. For inquiries please click here.
When is the festival?
The Kantorei Choral Festival takes place April 17 to April 21, 2024.
Do I have to register as part of a chorus?
At this time, the choral workshops and masterclasses are only open to choral groups and vocal ensembles. Individuals may register for the professional development session without registering in a choral session. Registration will open soon.
What is the deadline to register?
Registration deadline and paid fees in full by February 15, 2024.
The festival schedule offers limited spaces for participation; we recommend registering early to secure a spot. Registration will remain open until all workshop and masterclass time-slots are filled. At that time, we will update our website. Similarly, our professional development session will remain open until filled.
Fees are due upon registration.
Disclaimer:
Kantorei Choral Festival reserves the right to cancel the festival in the event of insufficient registration numbers and/or lack of funding.
Full refund of all monies paid to date will be issued.
What fees are involved in participation? How can I pay?
Workshops - CAD $400.00 per choir
Masterclasses - CAD $700.00 per choir
Professional Development - CAD $150.00 per choir director
Professional Development STUDENT RATE - CAD $75.00 per student
*Provide copy of Student ID at time of registration.
There is no general registration fee; you only pay for the sessions you are attending.
Groups are encouraged to register online. If this is not feasible, please contact info@kantoreichoralfestival.com to arrange your registration and payment via e-transfer, PayPal, or cheques.
DO YOU OFFER REFUNDS?
If cancelled prior to March 31, 2024, we are happy to provide refunds less a $50 administrative fee. No refunds will be offered from April 1, 2024 onward.
Is there a limit to the size of the choir that can participate?
We recommend that choirs limit participation to no more than 80 individual singers.
Who can attend the opening night reception?
Wednesday night’s opening reception is limited to Artistic Directors of choral groups.
Who can attend workshop performances?
During workshop sessions, two choirs will perform a selection of music for the Festival Artists in a given time-slot. The audience is comprised of the choirs sharing that session. Additional Kantorei Choral Festival participants may attend workshop performances in the Bella Concert Hall.
What is the difference between Workshops and Masterclasses?
Workshops are intended for choirs affiliated with high schools, university students or community members. These limited 75-minute sessions focus on performance development, and artistic and musical expression of the pieces selected. The first 20 minutes are split between your choir and one other, each performing a selection of music no longer than 10 minutes in duration, for the Festival Artists. Your choir will perform while the other choir listens. Following the performances, choirs will divide into separate spaces to work individually with one of the Festival Artists and receive feedback and individualized development work.
Masterclasses are intended for professional and volunteer performance choirs. These sessions are two hours long. Working with one Festival Artist, your choir will not only have an opportunity for more individualized feedback, but take part in discussions about the nature of music, the meaning and character of the music performed, how the music fits within larger social context, and more. Choirs participating in the masterclasses will have the opportunity to perform in the 300 Voices concerts on Saturday and Sunday.
Can I attend the professional development session without registering for a choral workshop?
Yes. We do not require that individuals participate in the workshops or masterclasses to take part in the professional development session. Please register online or contact info@kantoreichoralfestival.com.
Are there repertoire requirements for the festival?
Repertoire Selection
Choirs are free to choose repertoire for workshops and masterclasses by any choral composer or from any genre. Choirs that wish to participate in the festival concerts should select works that are in the contemporary classical genre. Once we have determined how many choirs wish to participate in the festival concerts, we’ll let you know how many minutes each choir has to perform. Choral works can be acapella or with piano. Please message us if you are programming a work that has additional instrumentalists for approval as stage space is limited. Choirs are responsible for the hiring of any additional instrumentalists.
Mass Choir Pieces
Two Mass Choir pieces will be selected for the 300 Voices concerts. In order to participate in 300 Voices, choirs must perform in at least one of the mass choir pieces.
When will I be notified about my participation in the Saturday and Sunday Concerts?
By way of hosting two performances of 300 Voices, we hope to invite all choirs to participate at least in one of the two concerts, with some select choirs being invited to participate in both performances. This will depend on the number of choirs and choristers participating in the festival. To ensure a well-rounded SATB balance of the mass choir pieces, we will have to consider the vocal make-up of the choral ensembles.
Are prizes awarded during the Kantorei Choral Festival?
At this time, the Kantorei Choral Festival is NOT an adjudicated event but rather a development opportunity. For future Festival planning, we hope to create adjudicated and non-adjudicated streams.
What transportation and accommodation arrangements are required?
Choral groups and ensembles are responsible to arrange their own transportation to/from festival sessions, rehearsals and concerts. As well, any accommodation requirements are solely that of the participating groups. We encourage choirs from outside the Greater Calgary Area to consider overnight lodging for Friday and Saturday if they are participating in any performances of 300 Voices.
Whom do I contact if I can’t find answers to my questions on the website?
If you have any questions not answered by the website, please contact the Festival Admin Team at: info@kantoreichoralfestival.com.
Whom do I contact during the festival should I have a problem?
We will have staff and volunteers available on-site throughout the Festival to answer questions you may have. Your director will be provided with contact phone numbers for the duration of the Festival.
How can I become a festival supporter or advertiser?
For information on how you can support the festival or advertise in our programming, please visit our Support Us page or send an inquiry to: info@kantoreichoralfestival.com.