Golden Gate International Children's & Youth Choral Festival

The Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir is pleased to host the 9th Golden Gate International Children's and Youth Choral Festival from July 8-14, 2012. Top American and international choirs will once again gather for an unforgettable week of rehearsals, public performances, friendly competition, and cultural exchange.

Founded in 1991 by the Piedmont Choirs, The Golden Gate International Children's and Youth Choral Festival is the first international children's choral competition festival in the United States. The 2012 Festival is presented under the direction of Robert Geary, Artistic Director of The Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir. Australian composer and conductor Steven Leek and the legendary Venezuelan Maria Guinand will direct the children's and youth massed festival choirs.

The 2012 Golden Gate International Children's and Youth Choral Festival will feature competitions in Historical and Folk Choral Music categories for both Children and Youth groups. Contemporary Choral Music and Vocal Solo Competitions will also be held during the festival week for those participating choirs who wish to enter. A distinguished panel of judges from the Bay Area and abroad will preside over the competitions.

Accommodations for all choristers, 18 years-and-under, will be in local homes. Homestay families will provide all meals and transportation for their guests. They will also serve as cultural ambassadors to their visiting choir guests, introducing them to the rich culture of the San Francisco Bay Area. Tuition for the Festival is $350 per participant, including choir adults and chaperones. Tuition includes all massed festival choir rehearsals, workshops, entry to all competitions, at least three concerts in addition to the final concert at Zellerbach Hall on the University of California-Berkeley Campus where all participants will sing in the Festival Choir. It also includes a range of social events: Festival picnic, Bay Cruise, Conductors' Banquet, Festival Party. Accommodations for visiting choir adults and participants over 18 years of age will be in local establishments are are not included in Festival tuition.

Application for participation in the Festival must be made using the official Application Form. Applications will be accepted from January 1 through October 31, 2011. Early application is encouraged. Late applications will only be considered if space is available. Applications must include the following materials:

a) A completed entry form.

b) A recent CD recording, cassette, MP3 of the choir, of not more than 15 minutes duration, labeled with the name of the choir and conductor, and the date of recording. At least one piece must be sung a cappella. APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE PROCESSED WITHOUT A RECORDING.

c) Brief biographies of the Choir and the Conductor.

d) A photo of the choir.

e) A photo of the conductor.

Choirs with incomplete applications will not be considered until all application materials are available to the review panel.

Syllabus

Please contact the Festival office for more information:

phone (510) 547-4441, email info@goldengatefestival.org