Artist

Julia Lagahuzère, works as General Director for Opera for Peace. She is also artistic consultant to the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo, Norway. Julia has a passion for finding and helping to nurture young talent, and established a concert series in order to strengthen relations between the QSMIC and the top international young artist programs; notably in collaboration with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. She has previously worked at the San Francisco Opera, Scottish Opera and Opéra de Limoges, and most recently as the highest international level as Deputy Casting Director for Opéra National de Paris in the two theatres of Opéra de Bastille and Palais Garnier. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, a musicology scholarship recipient at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a Master’s degree in Opera and Visual Performing Arts from King’s College London in collaboration with the BBC Proms.

Jennifer John is based Liverpool in the UK has been at the forefront of choir development and working with voices from diverse communities for over 30 years. She is committed to providing accessible vocal training for all people and believes in singing for social change. Jennifer has recently won 2 awards for her recent virtual choir project, Love Sings which was created during Lockdown.                                                                                                                 •   Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards 2020 •   Association of Independent Musicians “Local Hero” awards 2021 https://www.jenniferjohnmusic.com/

run the Academy for Singing and Health. As singers and music therapists, they are spirited singing activists, CD, book and film authors and founded Singende Hospitals e. V www.healingsongs.de

Simone is a qualified music therapist and alternative practitioner for psychotherapy. She is also an author and coach in the field of palliative medicine with a focus on music therapy. For over 20 years she has focused her work in areas of dementia and palliative care. As a user of Dementia Care Mapping, multiplier for the dementia balance model © and specialist book author, she currently works as a guest speaker and coach. She guides in the development of interdisciplinary teams in care at home and abroad and advises employees on how to deal with their singing and speaking voice. She is the 2nd chairwoman of the Singing Hospitals network. In her specialist books and seminars, the effect of singing on body, soul and spirit is of particular importance.

Qualified music teacher, qualified pianist, composer, vocal artist and coach for voice development and improvisation with 25 years of teaching experience (courses and circle song events throughout Europe – including at music colleges and theatres, psychological and medical institutes, as management training and at congresses). Many years of experience in teaching psychology, mediation, systemic therapy & sound healing. www.johannaseiler.com

Freelance singer, 3rd board member of Singing Hospitals network. Singing teacher, choir coach, choir leader of senior singing groups, patient singing groups in the psychotherapeutic context, as well as evening class lecturer, and further training seminars for educators and educators and in companies.

Certified jazz singer, singing teacher, vocal coach for choirs, speaker, certified Conflict counsellor based on the approach of positive psychotherapy by Prof. Dr. medical N. Peseschkian, cert. Facilitator of Virtues-Project e.V., certif. Singing director in hospice work and in facilities for psych. sick people. www.angelika-goers.de

Mr Caplin received his education as a singer, conductor and choral pedagogue at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen and at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. He is frequently engaged as guest conductor and clinician, and as adjudicator in competitions. Mr Caplin specializes within the psychological/pedagogical aspects of choral leadership, coupled with the traditional perspectives of choral conducting and the overall running of a choir including all aspects. This focus is fundamental in his book on choral leadership that was globally published in 2017 – ”The Learning Conductor”. Another speciality is the cross field between classical and rhythmical singing and conducting. His publications include a number of compositions, arrangements and CD recordings (Cantando Music Publisher, Stavanger and at Musikk-Husets forlag, Oslo.) He has received international recognitions for his leadership of the following choirs : The Lund University Male Choir (prominent male choir from University of Lund, Sweden, World Choir Champions, Shaoxing 2010), Chamber Choir Collegium Vocale (Norway), Oslo University Male Choir (World Choir Champion, Xiamen, China 2006). He presently conducts the internationally renowned Defrost Youth Choir, and is artistic leader of and singing member of the vocal group Nordic Blue.

Oksana Sukhetska - founder, choirmaster, artistic director and conductor of the mixed «Molodizhnyi Kamernyi Khor (Youth Chamber Choir)», choirmaster, artistic director and conductor of the student women’s choir «Yunist (Youth)», senior lecturer at the Department of Musicology and Vocal and Choral Arts, Faculty of Arts, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University. Laureate of All-Ukrainian and International competitions.

Michael Joseph Barrett is the conductor of the University of Pretoria (Tuks) Camerata and a Senior Lecturer in Choral Conducting in the Department of Music. He was a member of the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir from 1992 to 1997. He obtained the degrees BMus in Performing Arts (cum laude) in 2005 and MMus (Performing Arts) in 2008 specialising in choral conducting, both from the University of Pretoria. From UNISA, he holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCE) and a Performance Licentiate in Singing, both received in 2008. In 2017, Michael completed his Doctorate of Music Degree (Performing Arts) in Choral Performance through the University ofPretoria. Michael’s choirs have won numerous national and international awards, as well as choral competitions all over the world, including Grand Prix of Nations (Latvia 2017), The 8th World Choir Games (Latvia 2014); St Petersburg Choral Competition (Russia 2013); Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (Wales 2012); Krakow International Advent Choral Competition (Poland 2012); Europe and its Songs (Spain 2010); and the International Youth Music Festival (Slovakia 2010). In 2017, the Tuks Camerata was invited to perform at the World Choral Symposium in Barcelona, Spain. The choir has released four CD’s, all that were nominated for a South African Music Award for best classical album. Michael is an active composer and arranger. His music is internationally published by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and Walton Music and his arrangements of traditional South African Music are especially popular. He is regularly invited to give workshops on South African Choral Music (both traditional and western) and to adjudicate choral competitions both nationally and internationally. Michael is also the Executive Director and Co-Producer of “Capital Singers”, South Africa’s largest community choir project.