Associazione Corale Goriziana C.A. Seghizzi is pleased to introduce the jury of the 61st International Choral Singing Competition “Seghizzi” and the 34th “Grand Prix Seghizzi”.
Jury's President
Ambrož Čopi (Slovenia)
Jury
Silvana Noschese (Italy)
Sociologist, music therapist, choir conductor, psychophony expert, and music history teacher.
In the field of choir conducting, she has attended specialization courses with maestros G. Acciai, C. Graden, P. Grassi, G. Kirschner, P. Neumann, M. Patti, P.G. Righele, B. Streito, D. Tabbia, S. Kuret, and B. Zagni and has also attended the Three-Year Course in Choral Music and Choir Conducting ‘R. Goitre’ in Mercogliano (Avellino).
She is the artistic director of the Estro Armonico Association, of which she directs the choir and the youth choir ‘Il calicanto’, with which she has participated in competitions, festivals, and reviews in Italy and abroad, gaining success and recognition. She also directs the children’s choir of the G. Verdi Theatre in Salerno.
Growing up in music and singing, she has tried over the years to integrate her different experiences and skills in a project of ‘vocality and chorality’ that would combine and synthesize voice and health, voice and perineum, voice and sensoriality, singing and communication.
Experimenting with the ‘senses’ of sound, voice, and singing at any age has become one of her greatest passions.
Her musical, vocal, and choral proposal is a testament to her comprehensive expertise. It spans various areas, including education, art, personal evolution, and prevention and therapy. She has led groups dedicated to prenatal singing, family singing, and personal instrument development for over two decades. Her courses on “I sensi in Musica” and “Parlare in pubblico” have been well-received at schools, institutions, and associations. The breadth of her expertise is further evidenced by the publication of her research and intervention programs in books and specialist journals.
She has coordinated training experiences in Music Therapy for several years in collaboration with cultural centers and institutions, including schools, and was the scientific coordinator of the ‘Master’s degree for operators in music therapy’ at the Salerno Conservatory.
She has been a member of various competition juries (Arezzo, Malcesine, Quartiano, Lago Maggiore, etc.). She is regularly invited to give lectures and workshops on vocality, psychophony, and the conductor’s role as a good leader.
A former member of the Artistic Commission of the A.R.C. and the Italian National Federation of Regional Choral Associations (Fe.N.I.A.R.Co.), she is now the artistic director of the choral events “Il Cantagiovani” and “Cori in Coro”.
She founded the “Scuola di Coralità” in Salerno, a choral training program for children, adolescents, and young people, intending to teach them to sing, communicate, and be well.
Her short stories and nursery rhymes have recently been published to convey her content and voice her creative side.
Alexandre Beneteau (France)
French composer and pianist, born in 1973, Alexandre Benéteau graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris — CNSMDP with prizes in Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and Orchestration.
Aiming at becoming a professional composer since his early years (first concerts as a composer in 1988), but allergic to the avant-garde diktats, he searched a while to find his own voice. Neither experimental, nor neo-tonal, his style is characterised by a great amount of rhythmic energy, a certain lyricism along with constant care for clarity.
The work he authorises himself to consider as his opus 1 — a fugue for string quartet — was premiered in 2001.
The year 2009 marks an important milestone in his musical career: Hervé Corre de Valmalète, for the Flâneries de Reims festival, commissioned him to compose works for the duo Romain Leleu / Matthias Lecomte and for the world renowned harpist, Marielle Nordmann.
Again in 2009, his a capella choir piece, titled Succurre Miseris was awarded at the International Composition Competition for Choir Music Seghizzi (Italy).
In 2010, he was nominated laureate composer by the Fondation d’Entreprise Banque Populaire. This award gave him credit and public acknowledgment which was decisive for future developments of his career.
After that, followed numerous commissions and residencies with festivals, music ensembles, orchestras, conservatories and performers.
Alexandre Benéteau’s compositions have been performed in many countries (France, Italy, Germany, UK, Luxembourg, Netherlands, USA, Greece, South Korea, China and South Africa) by many artists and musical ensembles. Among them, Marielle Nordmann, the Hermès string quartet, the Girard string quartet, Romain Leleu, Jacob Shaw, Beatrice Berrut, Natacha Kudritskaya, the National Lyon Orchestra (ONL), Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne (OSB), the French Army Choir, Vocal Ensemble Cantatrix, Quentin Hindley, Nicolas Krauze, Géraldine Casey, Sylvain Gasançon, etc.
In 2015, his original score for “Finding Gondal: the story of the Brontë family”, by director Morgan Rauscent, won a Gold Award at the International Independent Film Awards in Los Angeles.
“The Seven Words of the Virgin”, commissioned and performed by the Girard String Quartet will be released on CD the 7th of October 2024.
Janis Ozols (Latvia)
Jānis Ozols (1980) is one of the well-recognized and promising conductors in Latvia, Artistic Director of the “International Baltic Sea Choir Competition”, and is also known as one of the former vocal group “Cosmos” singers.
Currently he takes active role in the field of academic music in Latvia and abroad, being the conductor and artistic director of the Jāzeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Latvia Mixed Choir and mixed choirs “Maska” and “Pa Saulei”. He is also often working as jury member at international choir and singer competitions.
Jānis Ozols is the head conductor of Riga and Jurmala Region choirs and since 2018 he is member of the board of the Latvian Song Festival Foundation and Member of the Latvian National Centre for Culture Council in sector of choirs.
He was the Artistic Director of the Opening concert and the Sing-Along Night of the XXVI Latvian Song Celebration which took place in July 2018.
Jānis Ozols obtained his musical education in Emīls Dārziņš Music School and Riga Cathedral Choir School’s class of choir conducting. He acquired a bachelor’s degree in Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in the class of choir conducting with the professor Sigvards Kļava and a master’s degree in choir conducting was supported by professor Jānis Zirnis. During 2013 and 2014 Jānis Ozols studied symphony orchestra conducting in Royal College of Music, Stockholm.
While being the baritone singer of the vocal a cappella group “Cosmos”, Janis has worked along with world known musicians. This includes master classes and concerts with Bobby McFerrin, “The Real Group”, “Take 6”, “The Manhattan Transfer”, “The Hilliard Ensemble”, “The New York Voices” and the Icelandic music icon Björk. “Cosmos” were the winners of contest “New Wave” in 2004. They have attained several prestige prizes and awards through different contests and events including the Great Latvian Music Award in 2009.
Jānis Ozols has reached notable achievements and won many prizes in Latvia and abroad with mixed choirs “Maska” and “Pa Saulei”. He has also proven his talent by taking the honourable 3rd place in the International Conductor Contest of Jāzeps Vītols in 2009 as well as by attaining many “Best Conductor” prizes at international choir competitions.
He does not stop at the achieved and constantly keeps developing himself. His musical view and interpretation often differs from the usual. Being open to creative innovations and musical experiments is what highlights him among other conductors and helps in fulfilling his own ideas which are highly appreciated both by music professionals and lovers.
Pietro Ferrario (Italy)
He began his musical studies under Mariateresa Nebuloni, and after his academic studies he graduated in piano, composition, organ, choral music and choral conducting from the conservatories of Brescia, Milan and Alessandria, studying with Luigi Molfino and Bruno Bettinelli. He specialized in composition with Azio Corghi, in music composition for the cinema with E. Morricone, in organ studies with L. Rogg, G. Parodi and others, and in choir conducting with G. Graden and T. Kaljuste. He performs concerts as choir director, pianist and organist. As a composer, he is the author of various choral and instrumental pieces, performed and recorded in Italy and abroad (Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Australia, China, United States, New Zealand, Argentina, Israel, Japan, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Norway, South Africa, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Indonesia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Latvia) by distinguished ensembles and established performers, in major music seasons (such as Carnegie Hall, 2019) and in major European choral competitions. He has composed on commission for major institutions such as Fondazione Toscanini in Parma, Settimane Musicali in Stresa, Pomeriggi Musicali in Milan, Landesakademie Ochsenhausen (D). In 1995 he was awarded with a certificate of meritorious achievement as organist at the T.I.M. International Competition in Turin. In 2004 he achieved 1st place in the 1st International Choral Composition Trophy “Seghizzi” in Gorizia, in 2008 1st place at the International Composition Competition “Bettinelli” in Milan, in 2016 1st place in the Canta Petrarca Choral Composition Competition in Arezzo, in 2020 1st place at the AERCO International Choral Composition Competition (with performance of the winning piece by the King’s Singers in Bologna in 2021), in 2022 1st place at the 2nd International Composition Competition for Choir and Organ “Caecilia Virgo.” He has published for Ricordi, Carrara, Rugginenti, Sonzogno, Feniarco, Edizioni Musicali Europee, Sonitus, the German Carus-Verlag and Ferrimontana and the Japanese Edition Icot. He has been invited as a jury member in major international choral and composition competitions in Italy and abroad (Gorizia, Maasmechelen, Canta Petrarca Arezzo, etc.). In 1997, he founded the Calycanthus Vocal Ensemble of Parabiago, winner of numerous national and international awards (such as Arezzo 2005 and Vittorio Veneto 2006, Feniarco award as the best Italian group in Gorizia 2008, Grand Prize in the 2nd National Choral Competition in Carpi 2023), performing concerts at important music festivals in Italy and abroad, with programs ranging from Renaissance to contemporary to a cappella pop-jazz, including world premieres of some works by Miškinis, Dubra, Corghi, Antognini and Bianchera, and recording two CDs for Bottega Discantica and SMC Records.
Since 1986 he has been performing during the liturgical service at the Prepositural Church SS. Gervaso and Protaso in Parabiago (MI), since 2000 on the restored Carrera Organ dated 1841.
He has taught various subjects (composition, choir conducting and choral composition, harmony theory and analysis, rhythmic theory and musical perception) for more than a decade at the conservatories of Vicenza, Cagliari, Sassari, Cesena, Parma, Pesaro and Alessandria. Since 2023 he has been the professor of music theory, rhythmic theory and perception at the Conservatory of Piacenza “Giuseppe Nicolini”.
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