Encounters Over the Choral Score 2026
XIII. INTERNATIONAL CHORAL CONDUCTING COURSES
Stretnutie nad zborovou partitúrou (Meeting Over the Choral Score) offers conductors, students and anyone interested in choral music an opportunity for professional development, practical work with a choir and the exchange of experience. The programme includes individual lessons with lecturers, practical rehearsals with a 60-member choir, a lecture and a panel discussion.
The event will also conclude with a final concert featuring the course participants.
PARTICIPATION FEES AND CONDITIONS
Active participation
- €50 – participation for all three days
- €20 – participation for any one day
Passive participation
- €20 – participation for one day
Active participants may work with the choir on the condition that they first complete an individual lesson with one of the lecturers. Both the individual lesson and the practical work with the choir are expected to last approximately 30–40 minutes. Each active participant may choose one or two compositions to work on.
Passive participants have the opportunity to observe the entire event, including lectures and practical rehearsals.
The sheet music will be sent to participants after payment of the participation fee.
Please note: The schedule is provisional and may be subject to change depending on the number of registered participants. The time of the final dress rehearsal may also be adjusted.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, 17 November 2026
- 9:00–9:30 – Participant registration (Room 212, 1st floor, Faculty of Performing Arts)
- 9:30 – Official opening of Stretnutie nad zborovou partitúrou (Concert Hall, FMU 501)
- 9:45–13:00 – Individual lessons with lecturers
- 13:00–14:30 – Lunch break
- 14:30–17:30 – Individual lessons with lecturers
- 18:00 – Prof. Ondrej Lenárd, Dr. h. c. – Dialogues about Choral Singing (Concert Hall, FMU 501)
Wednesday, 18 November 2026
- 9:00–13:00 – Individual lessons with lecturers / practical rehearsals with the choir (depending on the number of registered participants)
- 13:00–14:30 – Lunch break
- 14:30–17:30 – Practical rehearsals with the choir
- 18:00 – Panel discussion: Inspiration for Contemporary Choral Singing in Slovakia (Concert Hall, FMU 501/002)
Thursday, 19 November 2026
- 9:00–12:00 – Practical rehearsals with the choir
- 12:00–13:00 – Lunch break
- 14:00–15:50 – Practical rehearsals with the choir and final dress rehearsal
- 16:00 – Final Concert of the Participants of Stretnutie nad zborovou partitúrou
All activities will take place in the Concert Hall of the Faculty of Performing Arts (Room 501), unless stated otherwise. Lectures and panel discussions are also open to the general public.
REGISTRATION
→ REGISTRATION FORM DOWNLOAD ←
Please send completed registration forms to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Registration deadline: 11 November 2026
List of compositions available for practical work with the choir:
1. Kyrie e moll – Halmos László
2. O vos omnes – Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1561–1613)
3. Veni Creator – Mária Sihelská
4. Sanctus – Jevgenij Iršai (1951)
5. Locus iste – Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
6. Dies Irae – John Trotta
7. Con el vito – Manuel Massotti Littel
8. A Hymn to the Virgin – Benjamin Britten
9. Opelo – Stevan Mokranjac (1856–1914)
10. Tebe Poem – Stevan Mokranjac (1856–1914)
11. Weep, O Mine Eyes – John Bennet
12. Soleram – Obispo
13. The Ground – Ola Gjeilo (1978)
14. Kyrie h moll – Halmos László
We look forward to welcoming you!
The Organising Team of Stretnutie nad zborovou partitúrou
This project was supported using public funds from the Arts Support Fund (Fond na podporu umenia).
Prof. J. Scott Ferguson
Emeritus Professor of Choral Conducting, Illinois Wesleyan University (USA)
Professor J. Scott Ferguson is Emeritus Professor at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington (USA), where he served from 1996 to 2024 as Chair of the Department of Choral Music. During his tenure, he directed several university choirs, most notably the Collegiate Choir, which undertook annual tours throughout the United States and seven international tours, performing in Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Spain, Germany, France, Poland, South Africa, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
In 2020, under his leadership, the Collegiate Choir became the first American ensemble invited to the prestigious Woordfees Festival in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where its concert was nominated for Best Classical Vocal Performance. In 2024, the choir was awarded the Grand Prix at the Voce Magna International Choral Competition in Žilina, Slovakia.
Professor Ferguson is a strong advocate for contemporary choral composition — more than 28 works by internationally acclaimed composers have been commissioned at his initiative. As a lecturer and expert in choral conducting, he has led workshops, masterclasses, and conferences across the United States, Europe, South Africa, and South America. He regularly serves as a juror at international choral competitions.
Prof. Mgr. art. et Mgr. art. Štefan Sedlický, ArtD.
Conductor, Pedagogue, University Professor
Professor Štefan Sedlický studied piano at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (1985–1990) and continued with studies in choral conducting from 1989, completing them in 1994 under Prof. Peter Hradil.
He currently serves as Professor of Conducting at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica and at the Conservatory in Žilina. He is the conductor of several distinguished choirs, including the Slovak Teachers’ Choir, Žilina Mixed Choir, and Cantica Collegium Musicum Martin.
Under his leadership, his ensembles have earned numerous awards at prestigious national and international competitions, including First Prize in Spittal (1992), Second Prize in Llangollen (1997), honors at the Palestrina Competition in Rome, and the Grand Prix at the Prague Choir Days (2000). From 1998 to 2008, he led the J. Cikker Academic Choir at Matej Bel University, winning top prizes at the IFAS Pardubice and ABB competitions. Since 2002, he has been the conductor and artistic director of the Slovak Teachers’ Choir, achieving major successes such as the Premio (1st Prize) in Gorizia (2007), the Special Jury Award in Neuchâtel (2010), three gold awards and two special jury prizes at Praga Cantat 2024, and a gold medal at the European Choir Games 2025 and 2026.
He has recorded several CDs with his choirs, collaborates with Slovak Radio, and regularly performs with the State Chamber Orchestra in Žilina. He is a frequent jury member at national and international choral competitions.
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