Ventspils choir “Līvzeme” Wins Top Honors at Krakow Advent and Christmas Choir Competition
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The Ventspils culture Center’s mixed choir “Līvzeme” achieved critically important success at the XIV Krakow Advent and christmas Choir Competition held in Krakow, Poland from December 5-7, 2024. The choir was awarded a Golden Diploma and the Golden Angel statuette,recognizing them as the best mixed choir in the competition. Additionally, their conductor, Astra Plostniece, received a special award as the best conductor of the entire event.
Competition Overview
The Krakow Advent and Christmas Choir Competition, now in its fourteenth year, drew participation from 15 choirs representing Czech Republic, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Latvia. https://www.krakowchoircompetition.pl/ An international jury comprised of five choral music experts from Poland,Sweden,Italy,and the Czech Republic evaluated the performances.
“Līvzeme’s” Performance
Under the direction of Astra Plostniece, “Līvzeme” competed in the mixed choir category.Their repertoire included:
* “If I went to Bethlehem” by Emīls Dārziņš
* “Where is the love” by Ola Gjeilo
* “Rejoice” by Jacques Cohen
* “O saving host” by Erika Aschenwald
The choir’s performance of these pieces earned them the highest accolades in their category, with the jury specifically recognizing the excellence of both the choir and its conductor.
Latvian Depiction
“Līvzeme” was one of three Latvian choirs participating in the competition. The other representatives were the mixed choir “Ezerzeme” from the Rēzekne region and the Riga women’s choir “Skanda.” The competition took place in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, a prominent religious landmark in Krakow. Participants also had the prospect to perform concerts in the Church of saint Catherine.
Funding and Support
The choir’s participation in the competition was made possible through financial support from the Ventspils municipality and the State Cultural Capital fund of Latvia. https://www.kkf.lv/en/
This victory highlights the high level of choral music talent in Latvia and the dedication of the Ventspils Culture Center and its choir “Līvzeme.” The success of Astra Plostniece as a conductor further underscores the quality of musical leadership within the Latvian choral tradition.