The Fondazione Academia Montis Regalis is an institution of Piemonte that has worked for many years on the dissemination of ancient music, according to historical criteria and with the use of original instruments. The Academia has been conducted by leading specialists and has produced numerous records and participated in international events.

Berit Opheim, one of the most important Norwegian singers, specialized in traditional music, has collaborated with contemporary composers and has also recorded their works. As a soloist, she has held several seminars and workshops in Norway and abroad, taking improvisation into traditional music. She has done many recordings, including a cappella songs.

Bratsch, founded in 1972, is formed by French musicians, combining diverse jazz experiences with gypsy music and the traditions of East-Central Europe and the western Balkans. In this way Bratsch brings a wide range of languages and musical styles to the public.

Carlo Boccadoro has studied at the Conservatorio “G. Verdi” in Milan where he graduated in Piano and Percussion. At the same institute he studied composition with Paolo Arata, Bruno Cerchio, Ivan Fedele and Marco Tutino. Since 1990, his music is present in national and international prestigious venues and concert halls. He is one of the founders of the cultural project Sentieri Selvaggi.

Compagnia del Madrigale, founded by Giuseppe Maletto, Daniele Carnovich and Rossana Bertini, can be considered as one of the most aknowledged madrigal groups on international scale. The group is currently involved in concerts and record commitments in Italy and abroad. It collaborates with the Italian-Swiss Radio-Television and with the prestigious instrumental group “I Barocchisti”.

The Choir of Abbazia della Novalesa, conducted by Enrico De Maria since 1988, has always been active in the dissemination of the pre-polyphonic and Gregorian musical heritage. The choir has attended many national and international events, one of which is the display of the Holy Shroud in 2011.

Founded in 2009 in occasion of the 5th European Academy for Young Conductors organized by Feniarco in Fano, the ensemble is made up of young selected singers coming from all over Italy and is conducted by Alessandro Cadario. Its repertoire is mostly pop a cappella interpreted with a philological and professional approach. The choir also deals with other repertoires upon project.

The Coro Giovanile Italiano is a selection of young choristers from 18 to 28 years old conducted by great musicians such as Dario Tabbia and Lorenzo Donati. The singers come from different Italian cities and from numerous musical experiences. Their repertoire choices give value to the ancient and contemporary Italian music heritage, engaging also with the direct commission of new compositions.

Coro Maghini was formed in Torino during a production with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, with which is still collaborating. The choir also performs numerous concert an makes record projects in Italy and abroad in cooperation with Accademia Montis Regalis. Coro Maghini confronts itself with the most significant repertoire for a cappella choirs from baroque to contemporary music, along with orchestra productions.

DinDùn was formed by the encounter of three musicians fascinated by traditional and folk music and by the practice of improvisation, searching for a balance between ethnic and contemporary sounds in order to mantain the purity and incantation of ancient voices. Their repertoire includes traditional songs from their own homeland (Catalunya and Piemonte), and some original pièces composed on dialectal texts.

The “De Sono” Academy of Mastery for string instrumentalists, that is active since 2005 thanks to the support of the Compagnia di San Paolo, trains young musicians and helps them to fit in the professional circuit.

The Ensemble Vocale e Strumentale Orologio was founded in 2000 by Davide De Lucia, who is its current artistic director, with the intention of proposing great masterpieces and unpublished music works from the XVI and the XVII century by using ancient intruments or reproductions. The ensemble can boast at its credit of important producions, related to the ancient and baroque repertoire, and cooperations with internationally acclaimed instrumentalists and singers.

The Estonian National Male Choir (Eesti Rahvusmeeskoor or RAM) was founded in 1944 by maestro Gustav Ernesaks, a leader of choral music in Estonia. The male choir who originally sang a cappella is now a world-renowned professional choir noted for its renditions of large-scale choral works. The choir regularly records for broadcasting companies and has collaborated with Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Finlandia, Alba Records, Virgin Classics and GB Records. The choir’s repertoire ranges from the Renaissance Period to the music of the 21st century. From the eason of 2011/2012 Mikk Üleoja has acted as the principal conductor and creative director of the choir.

The Estudio Coral Meridies was formed in 2004 by Virginia Bono as an independent amateur artistic ensemble. Since its creation, Meridies (latin for South) devote to perform traditional choral repertoire and new works by contemporary Argentinean and South American composers. Meridies has won prices in various competitions and participated to several international festivals, receiving recognition from both the public and from specialists for its rich sound, musicality and exquisite interpretations.

Fabio Vacchi is one of the top living composers. He collaborates with the most prestigious musical institutions (from the Scala to the Gewandhaus of Leipzig (DE), from the Salzburg Festival to the Opera Comique in Paris), and with the best interpreters (like Abbado, Muti, Chailly and Metha) and artists (like Olmi, Chereau, Oz and Pomodoro) of the world.

François Narboni was born in Paris in 1963. His musical studies include guitar, percussion, jazz and composing, in particular harmony, counterpoint, orchestration. He has been awarded numerous distinctions and his music has been played in France and abroad by numerous orchestras, ensembles, chamber music groups and soloists.

The choir “Cantus Ecclesiae”, founded in 1994, is involved in the study and interpretation of Gregorian Chant, with the aim of disseminating its practice and approach to the ancient manuscripts. The group has taken part in numerous lithurgical concerts and performances in Italy and abroad.

The Moderni is the band which has conquered the second place in the last TV edition of X Factor, with an explosive mix of Dance, Hip Hop, Rap and vocal harmonies. Their first album of inedited songs sums up all the souls of this Turinese energetic and versatile ensemble.

Jonathan Rathbone studied singing and composition. He’s been artistic director of the Swingle Singers for 12 years. He is now an in-house composer with Peters Edition, freelance orchestrator and arranger. Jonathan conducts two London choirs.

Active in the representation and preservation of traditional folk music and dance from Southern Italy, La Paranza del Geco, founded and directed by Simone Campa, today it counts among its ranks thirty artists including musicians, singers, percussionists, actors, dancers, and street artists. All the performances of this colorful ensemble recreate the atmosphere of the most exciting festivals of South Italy, combining the musical research with the energy of performances.

The Latvian Radio Choir (Latvijas Radio Koris) is regarded as one of the top professional chamber choirs in Europe. The choir is regularly invited to perform in prestigious international musical forums in Latvia and abroad. The Latvian Radio Choir could be described as a sound laboratory where the singers explore their skills by turning to the mysteries of traditional singing, as well as to the art of quartertone and overtone singing and other sound production techniques.

Leo Hurley has gained recognition with commissions and performances spanning the United States, Italy, and Serbia. He has been awarded important title and prizes for his activity as composers and he had the pleasure of writing for several film productions.

Lorenzo Ferrero, formed in musical and philosophical studies, devoted an important part of his artistic activity to musical theatre. His works are staged in Italian main theatres and abroad. He has also been artistic director for important musical events. His compositions for chamber orchestra and piano are numerous. He is the president of the International Council of Music Authors.

Luís Tinoco studied at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa and at the Royal Academy of Music, in London. Since 2000 he has worked as a freelance author and producer of new music radio programs. He also lectures at the Escola Superior de Musica in Lisbon, where he is the vice principal. Its catalogue includes chamber and orchestral music as well as theatral works.

The Magnificat Youth Choir was founded in 1990 by Valéria Szebellédi, and has been led by her ever since. Its members studied or still pursue studies in the special music classes of Erkel Ferenc School in Budapest. As well as giving regular concerts, the choir is in demand with Hungary’s top orchestras and ensembles, and is broadcasted by Hungarian Radio. They have recorded seven CDs with wide repertoire of sacred and secular music.

Manfred Länger, born in Vienna in 1968, is well-known in Austria for his choir compositions, where singers do more than “only” singing. “Crazy compositions for crazy choirs” - but of course: Life is not only crazy. So there is also place for Cello Rising, the Opera for kids commissioned by Festival Europa Cantat XVIII Torino 2012.

He is a choir and orchestra conductor, as well as a music pedagogue. He conducts the Jugendchor Zürich at the Conservatory of Zürich and he is the director of the music schools Zollikon and Zumikon. His abilities to guide people of all ages to the richness and the value of music has led him to be regularly in demand as a guest conductor in international festivals like the Europa Cantat Festival and Zimriya in Jerusalem.

Porta Palazzo Orchestra is a musical ‘house’ where different cultures, generations and religions meet. The orchestra wants to interpret and promote Porta Palazzo’s intercultural environment. Porta Palazzo, in fact, is an historical market- quarter, the ethnic soul of Piemonte’s capital. The Orchestra stages world music, with a unique energy made of colours, different sounds and rhythms, to transmit a message of peace and coexistence.

The Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai was founded in 1994. Since then, many of the last generations’ best instrumentalists have been included in the original formation. The Orchestra performs in contemporary music programmes playing willingly premieres, along with symphonic and chamber music producions.

The Valle d’Aosta Regional Symphonic Orchestra was born in 2012, to give to the students of the region a prestigious opportunity to continue their educational path, and promote Valle d’Aosta’s musical heritage.

Out Of Time percussion quartet was founded in Torino, in 2007, by four young students of the Conservatory “G. Verdi”. After having established a good friendship and having reached a high technical and artistic level, they decided to create a musical project. Despite their young age, they have obtained many achievements by participating in major international events and competitions.

The organisers of the next EUROPA CANTAT XIX festival in Pécs 2015 created a spectacular performance for Torino to present the unique choral, folk music and dance heritage of Hungary.

Presented by acclaimed artists from Pécs, members of the Béla Bartók Male Choir, the Mecsek Folk Dance Ensemble and the world music band “A Köztársaság Bandája”.

Artisitic leader: János Molnár

Coreography: Péter Molnár

Tanned is a group of traditional music and contemporary folk stylistic experimentation related to the traditions of Maghreb, from the Berbers of the desert songs to the mystical music of the Gnawa ecstatic ritual, from the minority of the Amazigh to Arabic-Andalusian melodies. Tanned ranges also in the wild and hypnotic Moroccan folk music, the melancholy rhythms of Turkey and of the Arabian peninsula.

The Real Group is an innovative vocal group based in Sweden. The group has created a unique musical style, straddling jazz, pop and northern Europe choral music, without excluding the creation of original works, using voice as their only tool. The Real Group has been travelling the world for 27 years nowadays, taking part in events of great prestige by offering performances of musical excellence.

The Ulmer Spatzen Choir collects more than 200 children and teenagers singing in the two training choirs, the children’s choir, the youth choir, and a chamber choir. Ulmen Spatzen perform a wide repertoire. Many contemporary composers have dedicated music to them. Since 1998 the choir is led by Hans de Gilde.

The Estonian composer Veljo Tormis won wider recognition with his choral music. Tormis is famous for his imaginative use of authentic archaic folk material, Estonian and of other peoples. He is interested in the meaning of singing, and often working together with ethnologists he always goes deeply into the ackground of the songs he is using.

VOCES8 was founded in 2003 by ex choristers of Westminster Abbey. The octect gained popularity in 2005 by winning the first prize at the International Choral Grand Prix. The group has performed in UK, in Europe, in USA and Africa, and had released various CDs (From Gibbons to Gershwin, Evensong, Bach Motets). VOCES8 has been mentioned for two CARA awards, one for Evensong, 2009, and one for Aces High, 2011. The group is involved in the educational project of Voces Cantabiles Music.

Recognized today as one of the best vocal jazz groups in Europe, the Voice Messengers combine the energy and swing of a jazz orchestra with the poetic and musical charm of an entirely unique vocal ensemble that combines voices with instruments. Emotion and poetry play important roles in their universe, with the notable inclusion of a selection of French poems. Backed by one of the best French rhythm sections and supplied with arrangements by Thierry Lalo, the eight singers take the place of the brass section of a big band - even for vocal improvisation.

The WÅG (Wager Åstrand Graden) trio, founded in 2007, is formed by Mattias Wager, organist at the Stockholm Cathedral, Gary Graden, choirmaster at the Stockholm Cathedral and St Jacob’s Church and singer, and Anders Åstrand, percussion and mallet virtuoso. The audience is invited, during their concerts, to sing and make a musical jouney where improvisation plays a key role!

Witloof Bay was founded in 2005 to share the passion for a cappella pop in the form of a small ensemble. The repertoire first focused on French and Anglo-Saxon pop and jazz songs arranged by Witloof Bay, to evolve towards new unique compositions. The group lies five singers with a professional classical training, to an unusual sixth member: a beatboxer that produces the overall sounds of the drums.