The 30th Béla Bartók International Choral Competition concluded on July 5 with the high-stakes Grand Prix Final and official award ceremony, where The Resonanz Children’s Choir took home the Grand Prix.

Debrecen hosted the 30th anniversary edition of the prestigious Béla Bartók International Choral Competition from July 2–5. Four exceptional choirs advanced to today’s final round, with The Resonanz Children’s Choir (conductor: Avip Priatna) ultimately earning the top honor.

Chaired by Georg Grün, the 2026 international jury—featuring Zsuzsanna Gráf (Franz Liszt Award-winning choirmaster, Meritorious and Excellent Artist of Hungary), Tristan Caliston Ignacio (choirmaster of the 2024 Bartók Competition Grand Prix-winning choir), Csaba Somos (Franz Liszt Award-winning choirmaster and chorus master of the Hungarian National Choir), and composer Philippos Tsalahouris (director of the Athens Conservatoire)—announced the following official results:

Children’s and Youth Choirs

  • 1st Place: The Resonanz Children’s Choir (Conductor: Avip Priatna)
  • 3rd Place: Kodály Zoltán Youth Mixed Choir (Conductor: Adrienne Vasné Katona)

Diploma of Participation:

  • Vántus Boys’ Choir (Conductor: Dávid Valkai)

Free Category

  • 1st Place: The Resonanz Children’s Choir (Conductor: Avip Priatna)
  • 2nd Place: Coralia from the University of Puerto Rico (Conductor: Dr. Carmen Acevedo-Lucío)
  • 3rd Place: Babīte Cultural Education Centre Mixed Choir “Maska” (Conductor: Jānis Ozols)

Diploma of Participation:

  • Riverside City College Chamber Singers (Conductor: Jonathan Talberg)
  • Jazzberry Tunes (Conductor: Yiğit Deniz)
  • Cape Town Camerata (Conductor: Leon Starker)
  • Alegria Choir (Conductor: M. İnci Tığlı Ayağ)
  • Santinig-Bonn (Conductor: Ruselo Kleensang-Pacto)

Sacred Music Category

  • 1st Place: Babīte Cultural Education Centre Mixed Choir “Maska” (Conductor: Jānis Ozols)
  • 2nd Place: Riverside City College Chamber Singers (Conductor: Jonathan Talberg)
  • 3rd Place: Coralia from the University of Puerto Rico (Conductor: Dr. Carmen Acevedo-Lucío)

Diploma of Participation:

  • Cape Town Camerata (Conductor: Leon Starker)
  • Béla Bartók Women’s Choir (Conductor: Dávid Valkai)
  • Santinig-Bonn (Conductor: Ruselo Kleensang-Pacto)

Category Winners

  • Children’s and Youth Choir Winner: The Resonanz Children’s Choir (Conductor: Avip Priatna)
  • Free Category Winner: The Resonanz Children’s Choir (Conductor: Avip Priatna)
  • Sacred Music Winner: Babīte Cultural Education Centre Mixed Choir “Maska” (Conductor: Jānis Ozols)

Special Prizes

  • György Gulyás Conductor Prize: Avip Priatna
  • Zsolt Szesztay Conductor Prize: Dávid Valkai
  • Editio Musica Budapest Special Prize for the best interpretation of the compulsory piece: Coralia from the University of Puerto Rico (conductor: Dr. Carmen Acevedo-Lucio)
  • Editio Musica Budapest Special Prize for the best interpretation of a contemporary work composed after 2018: Riverside City College Chamber Singers (conductor: Jonathan Talberg)
  • Editio Musica Budapest Special Prize for the outstanding performance of Trotta’s Dies irae and Sariola’s Pakkanen: Cape Town Camerata (conductor: Leon Starker)
  • Papageno Special Prize: Vántus Boys’ Choir (conductor: Valkai Dávid)

The festival opened on July 2 with its traditional street parade—a staple of the event for decades—followed by the official opening ceremony at the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen. The participating ensembles performed across children’s & youth, sacred, and free categories before the international jury at the Kölcsey Center’s Ballroom and St. Anne’s Church.

Dániel Somogyi-Tóth, General Music Director of the City of Debrecen, previously expressed his delight regarding the event’s evolution. He noted that following the successful launch of the new Zoltán Kodály International Music Competition in 2022, the 60-year-old Béla Bartók International Choral Competition was also fully revitalized in 2024, updating both its structure and brand identity. This transformation, he explained, “reimagines the prestige of a serious competition with decades of history, while reflecting the city’s commitment to quality, cultural innovation, and the ongoing support of talented young musicians.”

Zoltán Kocsis-Holper, chairman of the artistic committee (which also includes Ágnes Török and József Nemes), emphasized the high stakes: “Anyone who comes here knows they are entering one of the six toughest competitions in the world. As a member of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP) association, it brings massive prestige to every participant. This jubilee event was a true celebration of contemporary choral music—beyond the exceptional professional standards, it allowed us to experience each other’s musical cultures and build lasting professional connections.”

As part of the festival, a gala concert titled “Vivat, crescat, floreat!” was held on July 3 at 7:00 PM. The repertoire spotlighted domestic and international composers closely tied to the history of the competition, alongside exciting world premieres commissioned specifically for the occasion.

Two standout ensembles from Debrecen’s local choral scene took the stage during the first half of the gala. The Lautitia Children’s Choir, led by József Nemes, opened the evening. Alongside contemporary Hungarian premieres by Katalin Szalai and Péter Zombola, they performed international pieces by Josu Elberdin, Julio Dominguez, and Michael Barrett. They were followed by the Kodály Choir Debrecen, who delivered a diverse program under the direction of Zoltán Kocsis-Holper. Their performance included brand-new pieces by Márton Levente Horváth and Máté Balogh, as well as works by Péter Tóth, György Orbán, and John Rutter.

All rounds of the Béla Bartók International Choral Competition are available to stream on demand on the event’s official website.

The winner of this year’s Grand Prix secures an invitation to the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP), hosted on a rotating annual basis by Arezzo, Debrecen, Jūrmala, Maribor, Tolosa, and Varna.

Founded in 1961, the Béla Bartók International Choral Competition (BBCC) remains one of the world’s most prestigious musical arenas. The main organizer, Kodály Philharmonia Debrecen, is partnered with Jeunesses Musicales Hungary—the local branch of the world’s largest youth music organization—with Papageno serving as the official media partner.

Looking Ahead:

From June 26 to July 4, 2027, the Zoltán Kodály International Music Competition will return, featuring talented young flute, oboe, and clarinet players. The 31st Béla Bartók International Choral Competition will take place from July 6–9, 2028.