MOUNT ROYAL KANTOREI INVITED TO COMPETE FOR PRESTIGIOUS FLEISCHMANN INTERNATIONAL TROPHY IN CORK, IRELAND

Press release: Calgary’s acclaimed classical choir, Mount Royal Kantorei, is set to take the stage in Cork, Ireland, to compete for one of the most coveted trophies in choral singing, the Fleischmann International Trophy.

The auditioned, 82-person, mixed voice choir, which is Mount Royal Conservatory’s flagship chorus, will compete for the prize at the 70th annual Cork International Choral Festival next year. They will be up against some of the best amateur choirs in the world, with previous winners hailing from Finland, Estonia, USA, and Slovenia.

John Morgan, Mount Royal Kantorei’s Artistic Director, says the competition will be a milestone in the choir’s 30-year history.

“Kantorei is one of the most exciting classical choirs in Canada with an incredibly diverse range of voices, personalities, and singers who unite their voices in a shared love of traditional and contemporary classical choral music. An age gap of more than fifty years separates our youngest and oldest vocalists, proving the power of music to bring people together. We cannot wait to come together with other choirs from all over the world to compete for the Fleischmann International Trophy next year,” he said.

“2025 marks Kantorei’s 30th anniversary year - the choir was founded in 1995 and our choristers have performed more than 700 pieces of music in that time. Competing in Cork will be one of the highlights in our choral history, he continued. “We hope to make Calgary, and Canada, proud.”

Judged by a panel of eminent musicians and choral experts, the Fleischmann International Trophy competition will be presented in a concert format where each choir will perform a polyphonic work composed before 1750, an original work by a living composer, and a work by a composer of the choir’s native country.

Afterwhich, an international jury will allocate marks for the technical and artistic quality of the chosen programme and the overall quality of its performance. Judges will also take into account how well the choir communicates with the audience in a performance situation.

Mount Royal Kantorei was originally invited to compete for the Fleischmann Trophy in 2019 but were unable to travel due to the pandemic.

Elaine FitzGerald, Festival Manager at Cork International Choral Festival said:

“We are absolutely thrilled that Mount Royal Kantorei will be attending the Cork International Choral Festival. Although we were unable to meet them in 2020, we have been avidly following their activities through social media. Now, as we celebrate the festival's 70th anniversary, we are excited that they will finally have the opportunity to experience the rich culture and vibrant atmosphere of Cork. This milestone event will undoubtedly be enhanced by their presence and performance, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming them to our Festival.”

Since the pandemic, Mount Royal Kantorei has achieved international attention through the release of several acclaimed music videos which have garnered more than half a million views on YouTube.

Cork International Choral Festival takes place from April 30th until May 4th.