NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Chamber Choir finished third in the Ave Verum International Choral Competition this weekend in Baden, Austria.
NSU’s Chamber Choir was one of eight choirs chosen from around the world along with ensembles from Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Ireland, Ukraine and the Phillipines. Northwestern State was one of two choirs from the U.S. selected for the competition. An international jury served as judges.
The competition is in honor of the location of Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus,” which premiered in 1791 in Baden. This competition only occurs in odd years. The opening round featured the selected choirs which all sang in a night concert in the town square called the Long Night of Choral Music. The next day, five choirs were selected for the Grand Prix de Ave Verum.
This is the second year in a row Northwestern State’s choral groups have performed well in international competition. Last summer, the Northwestern State Lyric Choir won a Gold Medal in the Female Choirs category at the 3rd Budapest International Choral Celebration and Laurea Mundi International Open Competition and Grand Prix of Choral Music. The Chamber Choir received a Laurea Summa Cum Laude diploma in the Mixed Choir category and a Laurea Cum Laude diploma in the Musica Sacra (Sacred Music) category.
Before the Ave Verum International Choral Competition, the Chamber Choir performed in three European capitals at Saint Martin’s Basilica in Prague, Czech Republic, Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vienna, Austria, and Saint Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava, Slovakia.
For more information on Northwestern State’s choral programs, go to capa.nsula.edu/music.
