The first edition of the International Masterclass for Choral Conductors “Sacred Music Today” has taken place from 14 to 18 September 2022 in Stockholm, Sweden. The teachers were Gary Graden, conductor of S:t Jacobs Chamber Choir and Mikael Wedar, conductor of S:t Jacobs Vocal Ensemble

For the second time the Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden offered an International Masterclass for Choral Conducting. The aim was to prepare choir conductors to tackle contemporary sacred music works.

The participants were exposed to the essential skills for professional choral work and given the opportunity to gain practical experience with different world-class ensembles.
 

The masterclass consisted of four days of seminars, worship services, and practical studies in choral conducting (see the detailed program below).

The organization had accepted 7 active students, chosen by Mattias Wager, Gary Graden, Mikael Wedar and Louise Linde, artistic secretary of the masterclass, to study and perform with two choirs of the Cathedral Parish, namely S:t Jacobs Chamber Choir (www.sjkk.se) and S:t Jacobs Vocal Ensemble (www.sjve.se), both award winning choirs and leading ensembles in the field.

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The seven students who had been selected to take part in the International Masterclass 2022 for Choral Conductors  “Sacred Music Today” were:

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Francesco Acquista, Italy/Sweden

Kristina E. Bogataj, Slovenia

Sammy El Ghadab France
Pierre-Louis de Laporte France

John Morrow USA 

Brian Stevens USA 
Shino Yamasaki Japan/Sweden
 

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