Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir Takes Top Prize

Published July 11, 2016

The Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Talberg, has won the 2016 Choir of the World and Pavarotti Trophy at the 70th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. The six-day event drew entries from as far away as Trinidad and Tobago, Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe, and the Philippines.

Each year around 4,000 performers converge on the Welsh town of Llangollen and its International Pavilion to compete in a unique celebration of music, dance, costume and culture from nations around the world. Competitions culminate with the awarding of the prestigious Choir of the World, which determines the best overall choir of the event. In 2005 Luciano Pavarotti added his name to the competition in recognition of his appreciation of the festival and its influence on his career.

This year the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir took the coveted Choir of the World Pavarotti Trophy and a monetary prize. The Choir of the World event is a competition between the winners of five categories: mixed choirs, youth choirs, female choirs, male voice choirs, and open category. Each choir prepared a contrasting program of up to 12 minutes including at least one unaccompanied work.