On Sunday, September 20, the 9th International Baltic Sea Choir Competition, part of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP), concluded at the Dzintari Concert Hall. The Grand Prix title, a €3,500 cash prize, and the Jurmala City Cup were awarded to the Riga Cathedral Choir School Gospel Choir, conducted by Una Stade. By winning the Grand Prix, the choir also secured a spot in the 2027 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing final, which will take place in Arezzo, Italy. The winning choir also received the Best Stage Performance award and the Dzintari Concert Hall Audience Award.

Kammerchor Manila from the Philippines, conducted by Anthony G. Villanueva, placed second and received a € 2,000 prize. The choir also earned the award for Best Performance of the Compulsory Piece for their interpretation of Raimonds Tiguls’ “When I was born,” as well as the Audience Choice Award and a special prize from the Latvian National Center for Culture. The women’s choir EMBLA from Norway, conducted by Marit Tøndel Bodsberg, won third place and a € 1,000 prize, and Bodsberg was also named the competition’s best conductor.

The Musica Baltica Publishing Prize for the best interpretation of a unison piece was awarded to the Lastivka Children’s Choir from Ukraine, conducted by Oksana Ursatii. Detailed competition results are available here.

The 9th International Baltic Sea Choir Competition took place from September 18 to 20 at the Dzintari Concert Hall in Jurmala, bringing together choral singers from seven countries – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Ukraine, and the Philippines. The performances of eight high-level amateur choirs were evaluated by an international jury chaired by Leon Shiu Wai Tong (Hong Kong), alongside jury members Vilija Mažintaitė (Lithuania), Valter Soosalu (Estonia), Rahela Durič (Slovenia), and Jurģis Cābulis (Latvia).

The International Baltic Sea Choir Competition is an annual international choral music event held in Jurmala since 2016. Every year in the second half of September, several hundred amateur choir singers gather at the Dzintari Concert Hall to compete in the compulsory and free-choice program semi-finals, as well as the Grand Prix final. Since 2024, the Jurmala competition has been an official part of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP), making it one of the world’s most highly regarded amateur choir competitions.

The competition’s main partner is the Jurmala State City Municipality. Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation, Dzintari Concert Hall, Musica Baltica Publishing, FYUL, Dienas Mediji, TV24, 36. Līnija restaurant, TV Jūrmala, KALVE, and fashion designer Anna Elizabete Kasparsone. The Grand Prix trophy for the 9th International Baltic Sea Choir Competition was created by artist Ginta Grūbe.