The KANTILÉNA is a selective choir, a laureate of many
international choir competitions, co-operating with leading artists,
conductors, orchestras and contemporary composers, whose latest works are
introduced by this body at concerts and recorded on sound recordings. At
present, the choir, consisting of four sections, is attended by about 150
singers from 5 to 19 years old.
The choir dramaturgy covers a wide range of almost
all the existing genres. It can offer both sacred programmes, mostly focused on
Renaissance vocal polyphony and compositions by contemporary Czech authors, and
classic or innovative arrangements of folk songs or Christmas carols.
The
Kantiléna also often participates in theatre performances, (operas Brundibar
and About Cockerel and Little Hen; The Chap-Book ballet). In
June 2009, Kantiléna created its own performance called Eighteen Jerusalems
for the first time in the choir history. The piece was based on Jiří Šotola's
novel and it was showed in the world first night performance. With this
performance, the choir overcame limits of children ensembles, overreaching to
the field of own creation.
The
Kantiléna was founded at the initiative of Ivan Sedláček in 1956 as the
Šlapanický dětský sbor (the Šlapanice Children´s Choir) and already within six
years of intense work, the body attracted attention by winning the national
competition held in Bratislava.
In 1967, a school choir was transformed in a selective body of today's name.
The choir gradually attained co-operation with major composers, orchestras and
conductors and gained an excellent domestic and international reputation. A
reliable singing technique has been developed due to co-operation with a voice
specialist teacher prof. Jiří Bar and prof. Anna Barová, a long-year excellent
opera soloist of the National Theatre in Brno.
Since 1984, the Kantiléna has been working at the State Philharmonic Orchestra
Brno (at present the Philharmonic Orchestra Brno). In 2006, MgA. Jakub Klecker,
an ex-member of the choir, became the chief conductor, succeeding Ivan
Sedláček. The preparative departments of the choir are led by choirmistresses
Mgr. Iveta Ptáková and Beata Schönová, and Lenka Ďuricová is the current voice
specialist.
Over the
period of its existence, Kantiléna has performed at more than 1,450 concerts on
domestic stages, in seventeen European countries, in the USA, Canada,
Japan and Russia.
Style
programmes of sacred music enjoy great popularity among the audience; in the
choir's interpretation, such music has sounded in more than 250 churches. Among
the most significant places, let's list churches such as Stephansdom Vienna,
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Roma, Hofkirche Dresden, Basilica St. Pantaleon in
Köln, St. Nicolas in Prague, Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Brno, Basilica
of St. Prokop in Třebíč, Le Mont - St. Michel, Sacré Coeur in Paris, Cathedral
St. Patrick in New York, National Shrine in Washington, and many more. The
Kantilena sang for two hundred thousand religious people meeting at the mass
celebrated under the open sky by the Pope John Paul II in Prague
during his visit to the Czech
Republic. Regularly, the choir takes part in
beneficial concerts, e.g. concerts for the "Outstretched Hands" association,
"Peace to All People of Good Will" in Velehrad, or within the frame of Advent
Concerts in St. Vitus cathedral in Prague,
transmitted by the Czech Television. In 2006, under the co-operation with the
National Theatre Brno, a children's opera Brundibar
was produced, which is a
metaphor of life in the Terezin ghetto. The choir also co-operates with a
famous Czech dulcimer band Hradišťan. They have performed successful Christmas
concerts in Besední dům in Brno.
The Kantiléna has been awarded many prizes in
international choir competitions; absolute victories in Arezzo,
Italy (1981) and Neerpelt, Belgium
(1984 and 2006) are the most valuable ones. In 2008, the Kantiléna was awarded
two golden medals at the World Choir Games, becoming the best European choir in
its corresponding categories. The collection of prestigious awards was enlarged
in the Montreux Choral Festival, Switzerland, in 2009, where the
choir was awarded the Public Prize and "Excellent" diploma.
|
The results achieved in competitions
|
| Year
|
Competitions
|
Prize
|
| 1974
|
Muziekfestival voor de Jeugd NEERPELT
|
1. prize cum laude (97 points)
|
| 1975
|
Mladinski pevski festival CELJE
|
Gold medal (97,6 points)
|
| 1977
|
Concorso polifonico Guido di AREZZO
|
1. prize (250/300 points)
|
| 1979
|
Meždunaroden chorov konkurs VARNA
|
Silver medal
|
| 1981
|
Concorso polifonico Guido di AREZZO
|
1. prize (285,5/300 points), The absolute winner and Béla Bartók´s Award
|
| 1982
|
Concorso per cori di voci bianche PRATO
|
1. prize |
| 1984
|
Muziekfestival voor de Jeugd NEERPELT
|
1. prize summa cum laude (99 point)
|
| 1985
|
Festival international de choeurs NANTES
|
3. prize and 1. prize for the compulsory composition
|
| 1987
|
Certamen de cancion para corales TOLOSA
|
2. prize |
| 1987
|
The Radio Competition Let Peoples Sing HELSINKI
|
2. prize |
| 1987
|
The Opera Choir Competition PRAGUE
|
1. prize |
| 2006 |
Muziekfestival voor de Jeugd NEERPELT |
1. prize summa cum laude (98 bodů)
|
| 2008 |
5th World Choir Games GRAZ
|
Two gold medals |
2009
|
Montreux Choral Festival 2009 MONTREUX
|
The Public Prize, "Excellent" diploma |