KANTILÉNA
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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.
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.
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.
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 | 1st prize cum laude (97 points) |
| 1975 | Mladinski pevski festival CELJE | Gold medal (97,6 points) |
| 1977 | Concorso polifonico Guido di AREZZO | 1st prize (250/300 points) |
| 1979 | Meždunaroden chorov konkurs VARNA | Silver medal |
| 1981 | Concorso polifonico Guido di AREZZO | 1st prize (285.5/300 points), The absolute winner and Béla Bartók´s Award |
| 1982 | Concorso per cori di voci bianche PRATO | 1st prize |
| 1984 | Muziekfestival voor de Jeugd NEERPELT | 1st prize summa cum laude (99 points) |
| 1985 | Festival international de choeurs NANTES | 3rd prize and 1st prize for the compulsory composition |
| 1987 | Certamen de cancion para corales TOLOSA | 2nd prize |
| 1987 | The Radio Competition Let Peoples Sing HELSINKI | 2nd prize |
| 1987 | The Opera Choir Competition PRAGUE | 1st prize |
| 2006 | Muziekfestival voor de Jeugd NEERPELT | 1st prize summa cum laude (98 points) |
| 2008 | 5th World Choir Games GRAZ | Two gold medals |
| 2009 | Montreux Choral Festival 2009 MONTREUX | The Public Prize, „Excellent“ diploma |