FONOKO
Foreningen norske kordirigenter
Konferansen er nå avsluttet.
SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS/LECTURES:
Frode Fjellheim (NO):
Meet the composer
Frode Fjellheim is a Norwegian joiker and musician (piano and synthesizer).
He is best known for his band Transjoik and as the composer of the 2002 song "Eatnemen Vuelie", which
was later adapted to become the opening musical number of Frozen.
His repertoirebook "Yoik for choirs" contains arrangements of yoiks, compositions in yoik style,
and information on yoik and sami music tradition.
Bilde: Av Orland - Eget verk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30988910
Anne Karin Sundal-Ask (NO)
Norwegian folk music in children`s choirs
Anne Karin has been the conductor and artistic director of The Norwegian Girls Choir since 2005.
She also teaches conducting at The Norwegian Academy of Music.
She has a unique ability to communicate her musical vision to the singers so that each one performs
to her utmost. Sundal-Ask’s focus on intonation, quality of sound, and ensemble performance
has become a trademark. Together with the choir she continuously strives to create moving and
expressive performances.
Gunnar Benediktsson (IS)
Choir performance: not just the voice
Gunnar has been conducting various choirs for twenty years. He has studied oboe and piano in Iceland,
and creative music workshop leading in Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is a Program director
for Creative Music Communication at the Iceland University of the Arts, as well as the keyboardist in
heavy-metal group Skálmöld.
Sakari Ylivuori (FI)
What can a performer learn by studying the manuscripts?
Sakari graduated from the Sibelius Academy, the University of the Arts in Helsinki. He defended his
doctoral dissertation Jean Sibelius’s Works for Mixed Choir; A Source Study in 2013.
Currently he works as an editor in Jean Sibelius Works (a complete critical edition), and as a choral
conductor for Laurentius-kuoro and SatOn kuoro.
Joakim Olsson Kruse (SE)
Singing Boys – the Lost Tribe of Cultureland?
How do boys and young men find their place in choral singing?
Joakim is a conductor and organist i Västerås Cathedral, Sweden
He has a long experience in working with boy’s choirs, and is currently conducting
Västerås Boys’s choir in Sweden. His special interests are choir developing, with focus on c
hallenges as young men in choirs, recruitment, introducing young singers to classical repertoire,
teenagers and changing voices.
Ole A. Thomassen (NO)
Estill Voice Training Introductory course
Ole had his education from Barrat Due Musikkinstitutt and from The University of Oslo (MA). He works at
Bårdar Academy, and gives seminars and masterclasses. He has mostly performed classical church music
and Lieder. He is a certified teacher (SMT) in the Jo Estill Voice Training System and is a menber of the
committee for the European Estill Summit 2016 and 2018. Ole is also a board member of EVTA.no.
Jim Daus Hjernøe (DK)
The Intelligent Choir
Jim is professor and principal teacher in ''Innovative Choir Leading'’ (pop/jazz choir). As head of RAMA Vocal Center,
he is responsible for the international campus in Aalborg based on innovative choir leading and the latest e-learning
technology. Jim has focused on improvisational art and developed the innovative and revolutionary methodology
"The Intelligent Choir" for the last ten years. He has held workshops, seminars, lectures and courses for singers and
conductors throughout Europe.
The Intelligent Choir (TIC)
A complete methodology developed by professor Jim Daus Hjernøe. TIC refers to his musical philosophy of training
choir conductors to allow and inspire choristers to share responsibility for the musical process. The workshop will focus
on Vocal Painting (VOPA) which is an extensive collection of hand signals that can be used individually and/or in
combination to communicate non-verbally between conductor and singers. These signals can be utilized with known
material to convey small details during rehearsals and especially performances. They can also be used to create
“music of the moment” (improvised music).
Astrid Vang-Pedersen (DK)
Concert Design
How do you create a captivating staging of you choir? Once you have learned the music and the ensemble is ready
to take it onto the stage the question arises – how are we performing? Where to stand? Where to look? How to look?
The workshop helps you address these questions, through presenting a concept called Concert Design. We take a look
at the concert situation as an event, where communication is taking place, and discuss how we as singers may act and
react towards our audiences. Examples are presented, and the participants of the workshop are guided through a
number of exercises with a focus on how to develop communicative skills as performers combined with physical
awareness on stage.
Astrid is the conductor of the vocal-ensembles Dopplers & Papaya. The ensemble focus on dramatic and
communicative aspects of the vocal performances. Astrid finished her PhD about “Concert Design” recently in 2018.
She also teaches at Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (RAMA), and tours as musician together with the theatre “Teatergrad”.
Gro Shetelig (NO):
Body work and aural warmups in choir rehearsal- why? How?
Gro is a professor in Aural Skills, she has published several textbooks on ear training and methodology.
We take for granted the fact that any choir rehearsal opens with vocal warm-ups. But how many choir
conductors are aware of to what extent aural warmups and rhythmic body work will benefit their choir’s development
and musicianship?
In this workshop we will explore a series of aural warmups and rhythmic activities – and also how aural training can be
drawn from the musical elements and challenges in the choir’s repertoire
Benedicte Kruse will do this workshop
Frank Havrøy (NO)
Composing and arranging choir music
Baritone/tenor Frank Havrøy works as a freelance singer and composer, doing projects of different
styles and genres. He joined Nordic Voices in 1997. In 2008 he started as a PhD graduate at the
Norwegian Academy of Music with a project that concentrates on the classical, contemporary
vocal ensemble. From 2015 he is assistant professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
Sessions with presentations of new nordic choir repertoire:
SATB: Hanne Bæverfjord - SAB: Hanne Bæverfjord
Hanne is assistant professor in music at Queen Maud’s University College for Early Childhood
Education and Care in Trondheim. She has a master degree in music from NTNU (2001), she
has conducted choirs and attended different conductor courses since 1999. Hanne also composes
and arranges choral music, and is published on Cantando Musikkforlag.
TTBB: Sigurd Engesnes
Sigurd has broad experience as a conductor for male choirs, mixed choirs and vocal groups. His
musical background includes both classical and rhythmical music for choirs. He is currently conducting
the male choir “Sangselskabet Guldbergs Akademiske Kor” in Oslo, and is also working as organizational
consultant in Norwegian Singers' Forum.
SSAA: Tove Ramlo-Ystad
Tove has conducted the female choir Cantus since their beginning in 1986. Cantus has received a lot of
attention, won several competitions and is known by their nordic sound. This sound was the reason Disney
discovered Cantus, and led to Cantus being preferred to sing in their animation movie 'Frozen'.
Earlier she has been the conductor of both mixed and male ensembles. Now her experience is much
used as a mentor for younger conductors.
Tove Ramlo-Ystad is working for the Norwegian Choral Association as a music director, where developing
education systems for conductors in Norway is one of the main issues.
Children's choir with scores: Anne Karin Sundal-Ask
Anne Karin has been the conductor and artistic director of The Norwegian Girls Choir since 2005.
She also teaches conducting at The Norwegian Academy of Music. She has a unique ability to
communicate her musical vision to the singers so that each one performs to her utmost. Sundal-Ask’s
focus on intonation, quality of sound, and ensemble performance has become a trademark. Together
with the choir she continuously strives to create moving and expressive performances.
Children's choir without scores, Teaching by ear : Marius Solevågseide
Marius is a 33 year old singer and choir conductor with a master´s degree in popular music.
In this course you will learn about teaching by ear, and how to make use of modern pop songs in your choir.
