World Premiere on July 9: New Music for the World Choir Games 2014

    FERNWALD, GERMANY, June 14, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- An important tradition of the World Choir Games (WCG) is the significant ceremony at the Opening and Closing events: fanfare of the World Choir Games, entry of the WCG Flag, ringing the Bell - it's all accompanied by the specific World Choir Games Music. On the occasion of the World Choir Games 2014 it was newly composed.

The new music was penned by Zigmars Liepins. He is Chairman of the Board and artistic director of the Latvian National Opera in Riga and one of Latvia's best-known composers. "Zigmars Liepins did an excellent job," confirms Interkultur President Gunter Titsch. "It's a great honor for us and worthy of the significance of the world's largest choral competition that this renowned Latvian musician agreed to accept this responsibility."

"After seven editions of the World Choir Games it was time for a renewal of the Ceremonial Music," says Ralf Eisenbeib, Interkultur Artistic Director. "Attracting 27,000 participants, the 8th World Choir Games 2014 in Riga are the largest in the event's history. Through the new music, this milestone symbolically accompanies us into the future."

The new World Choir Games Music will have its world premiere on July 9, 2014 during the Opening Ceremony in Riga and will be played by the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. The new fanfare, which traditionally opens and closes the Games, will also be used for all upcoming World Choir Games.

What is also new is the repertoire of the international Festival Choir that traditionally performs at the Closing event of the World Choir Games. The Swedish composer Goran Bejstam prepared a new program with own arrangements of well-known international pieces which will be presented for the first time on July 19.

From July 9 - 19, 2014 a total of 27,000 participants are expected to come from 73 countries to Riga for the 8th World Choir Games. 460 international choirs will then compete in 29 different competition categories. They will be evaluated by totally 81 highly qualified choral experts from 39 nations.

About Inturkultur
Inturkultur is the world's leading initiator and organizer of international choral competitions. In over twenty years since the organization was established, more than7.000 choirs and over 300.000 male and female singers from 100 nations have taken part in the World Choir Games and Interkultur's regional choir competitions. Since 1988 more than 135 competitions and festivals have been held. The famous World Choir Games, former known as "Choir Olympics", are held every two years on different continents. After Shaoxing in China (2010), the 7th World Choir Games 2012 were held in Cincinnati, USA. Cities like Barcelona, Vienna and Hoi An have been hosting various competitions for many years, attended by hundreds of choirs. In the year 2014, the European Capital of Culture 2014, Riga, Latvia will host the 8th World Choir Games.

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