European Youth Choir

European Youth Choir
Choir
Also known asEYC
Former nameEuroChoir, Eurochor
Founded1982
AffiliationEuropean Choral Association (from 2011)
Federation of European Choral Associations [de] (until 2010)

The European Youth Choir (EYC, formerly known as EuroChoir) is an international European choir, organised by the European Choral Association (ECA). The choir was created in 1982 by the Federation of European Choral Associations (AGEC). The AGEC merged in 2011 to form the European Choral Association, which has organized it since in collaboration with local partners. From 2025, the choir was renamed to European Youth Choir.

The EYC is a project choir, composed of around 60 young adults (aged between 18 and 30) from various different European countries. They are led by two conductors and a vocal coach. Each year they rehearse for a week during the summer holidays in one of the participating countries, ending with a series of concerts.

Editions

As early as 1971 the AGEC decided to create a European youth choir, the first edition of which took place in Helsinki in 1975. Beyond that, a number of ad hoc youth choirs were organised in The Hague in 1975, in Llangollen in 1979 and 1980 and in Delft in 1980. In 1982 the modern iteration, although under the name Eurochor, was created.

# Year City / cities Countries Conductor(s)
1 1982 Innsbruck Austria
2 1983 Hamburg Germany
3 1984 Vaduz Liechtenstein Juliaan Wilmots [nl], József Maklári [hu] and Wolfgang Ress
4 1985 Bolzano Italy
1986 Warsaw Poland Did not take place
5 1987 Arnhem Netherlands
6 1988 Berlin Germany
7 1989 Warschau Poland
8 1990 Zeillern / Linz Austria
9 1991 Arnhem Netherlands Oane Wierdsma and Géza Oberfrank [hu]
10 1992 Poeldijk Netherlands Jos Vranken [nl]
11 1993 Koksijde Belgium Vic Nees, Wolfgang Michaël Scheck [nl] and Juliaan Wilmots [nl]
12 1994 Gwatt [de] / Interlaken Switzerland Werner Geissberger [als] and Andé Ducret
13 1995 Trossingen / Freiburg Germany
14 1996 Budapest Hungary
15 1997 Bolzano Italy Erwin Ortner and Ottokar Procházka
16 1998 Graz Austria
17 1999 Waldfischbach Germany Fritz ter Wey [de]
18 2000 Budapest / Visegrád Hungary
19 2001 Olsztyn Poland Benedykt Błoński
20 2002 Brugge Belgium Kaspar Putnins [lv] and Luc Anthonis
21 2003 Berlin Germany Kaspar Putnins [lv] and Luc Anthonis
22 2004 Lucerne Switzerland Kaspar Putnins [lv] and Rainer Held
23 2005 Vienna Austria Markus Obereder [de] and Maria Goundorina [sv]
24 2006 Dresden Germany Gunter Berger and Kaspar Putnins [lv]
25 2007 Mechelen Belgium Kurt Bikkembergs [nl] and Lone Larsen [sv]
26 2008 Brixen Italy Erwin Ortner
27 2009 Pomáz Hungary Kurt Bikkembergs [nl] and Éva Kollár
28 2010 Niš Serbia Kurt Bikkembergs [nl] and Božidar Crnjanski
29 2011 Arco Italy Gary Graden [sv] and Enrico Miaroma [it]
30 2012 Lomnice nad Popelkou Czech Republic Franz M. Herzog [de] and Jaroslav Brych [cs]
31 2013 Pécs Hungary Tamás Lakner [hu] and Alessandro Cadario
32 2014 Saintes France Lone Larsen [sv] and Geoffroy Jourdain
2015 Did not take place
33 2016 San Vito al Tagliamento Italy Mikko Sidoroff [fi] and Lorenzo Donati [it]
34 2017 Utrecht Netherlands Maria van Nieukerken [nl] and Lorenzo Donati [it]
35 2018 Helsinki / Tallinn Finland / Estonia Maria van Nieukerken [nl] and Mikko Sidoroff [fi]
36 2019 Vaison-la-Romaine France Yuval Weinberg [de]
2020 Limerick Ireland; cancelled due to COVID-19 Yuval Weinberg [de] and Bernie Sherlock
37 2021 Ljubljana Slovenia Yuval Weinberg [de] and Bernie Sherlock
38 2022 Basel / Flims / Rheinau Switzerland Yuval Weinberg [de] and Marco Amherd [de]
2023 Did not take place
39 2024 Varna / Sozopol / Sofia Bulgaria Donka Miteva and Marco Amherd [de]
40 2025 Valencia Spain Donka Miteva and Francesc Valldecabres Sanmartín
41 2026 Montpellier France Donka Miteva and Pierre-Louis Delaporte
42 2027 Mannheim Germany TBA

European Youth Choir (1994–2001)

Besides the EuroChoir organised by the AGEC at the time, there was also an earlier European Youth Choir organized by Europa Cantat – European Federation of Young Choirs (the other predecessor of the ECA). In 2002 it was eventually decided that the overlap of interest in it and the World Youth Choir was too big, so it was stopped that year.

Year Session Tour Conductor
1994 Ghent, Belgium Belgium, Germany and Denmark (at Europa Cantat in Herning) Johan Duijck
1995 Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray, France France and Luxembourg Johan Duijck
1996 Marktoberdorf, Germany Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy Johan Duijck
1997 Veszprém, Hungary Hungary, Slovenia and Austria Jordi Casas i Bayer [ca]
1998 Vitoria, Spain Spain and France Johannes Prinz [de]
1999 Trossingen, Germany Germany, Switzerland and France Fred Sjöberg [sv]
2000 Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray, France France, Belgium and Germany (at World Expo in Hanover) Frieder Bernius
2001 Hamar, Norway Norway and Sweden Carl Høgset

Revoice

After the session in Pécs in 2013, a new choir was set up with the participants of that edition, named REVOICE!. The choir is led by the 5 conductors and EuroChoir alumni Fabien Aubé, Balázs Porcsalmy, Lucia Bérešová, Taum Karni and Xavier García Cardona and gives a number of concerts each year throughout Europe. In 2015, REVOICE collaborated with EuroChoir to perform at Expo 2015 in Milan.

References

  1. 1 2 "Stel je kandidaat voor het European Youth Choir" [Apply to join the European Youth Choir]. Koor&Stem (in Dutch). 2025-02-03. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  2. 1 2 "EuroChoir 2017". zimihc.nl (in Dutch).
  3. ↑ "EUROCHOIR". miz.org (in German). 9 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Promoting vocal traditions". timesofmalta.org. 13 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "Mini-Muze". Trouw (in Dutch). 1975-07-28. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  6. ↑ "Werkweek voor jonge zangers uit Europa" [Workshop week for young singers from Europe]. Leidse Courant (in Dutch). 1975-06-14. p. 8. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Llangollen debut for Euro-choir". Liverpool Daily Post. 1979-06-07. p. 3. While Britain votes today in the European elections, Llangollen International Eisteddfod is getting on with plans for another kind - the forming of a Euro-Choir. The idea was first broached two years ago when Eisteddfod officers met Dr. Dobbeostein, headof the Netherlands Cultural Department. It was taken up by the European Choral Federation and adopted after further talks recently...
  8. ↑ "Llangollen all set for another success". Liverpool Daily Post. 1980-06-28. p. 3. ...and ends with a Sunday night concert by a newly-formed Euro-choir with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra.
  9. ↑ Hager, Adriaan (1980-06-06). "Muziek, gehoord en ongehoord" [Music, heard and unheard]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  10. ↑ "Euro-Jugendchor-Seminar - Internationales Sängertreffen in Liechtenstein". Liechtensteiner Vaterland. 1984-09-09. p. 3. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  11. ↑ "Verbundenheit zur kulturellen Arbeit der Jugend Europas". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt. 1984-08-09. p. 1.
  12. ↑ Stolz, Bernhard (1986). "AGEC-Tagung in Holland" [AGEC Conference in the Netherlands]. Schweizerische Chorzeitung = Revue suisse des chorales = Rivista svizzera delle corali = Revista dals chors svizzers (in German). 9 (4).
  13. ↑ Hager, Adriaan (1991-07-08). "Koorfestival harde les Nederlandse koren" [Choir festival harsh lesson Dutch choirs]. Trouw (in Dutch). p. 7. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  14. ↑ Hager, Adriaan (1992-02-14). "Den Haag en omstreken Serie van zes NCRV-concerten in de Haagse Anton Philipszaal Gehoord Ongehoord" [The Hague and surrounding areas Series of six NCRV concerts at The Hague’s Anton Philipszaal Heard Unheard]. Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-04-18 – via Delpher.
  15. ↑ "EuroChor". www.koorenstem.be (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  16. ↑ [s.n.] (1993). "Programmübersicht EUROCHOR 1994 Gwatt = Programme d'ensemble EUROCHOR 1994 Gwatt" [Programme overview: EUROCHOR 1994, Gwatt]. Schweizerische Chorzeitung = Revue suisse des chorales = Rivista svizzera delle corali = Revista dals chors svizzers (in German and French) (7–8): 16. doi:10.5169/seals-1044095. ISSN 1421-5306.
  17. ↑ "Auftritte bis 2015". Martina Steffl (in German). Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  18. ↑ "AGEC". www.saengerbund.de (in German). Archived from the original on 1999-04-29. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  19. ↑ Baross, Gábor (2006-09-12). "The non-professional art of choral singing in Hungary" (PDF). New Sound International Journal of Music (28).
  20. ↑ "Benedykt Błoński". pomeraniacantat.pl (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  21. ↑ Bosboom, Rolf (2002-07-24). "Eurochor Brugge zingt in Kloetinge" [Eurochor Brugge sings in Kloetinge]. Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant (in Dutch). p. 13. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  22. ↑ "EUROCHOR EN SUISSE. André Ducret a l'honneur" [EUROCHOR IN SWITZERLAND. André Ducret has the honour]. La Gruyère (in French). 2004-07-22. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  23. ↑ "Ambitioniertes Vorhaben". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 2006-08-29. p. 25. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  24. ↑ "Participants - www.eurochor.eu.tt". eurochor.isk.li. Archived from the original on 2007-12-08. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  25. ↑ "EUROCHOR 2008 - výzva k přihlašování" [EUROCHOR 2008 - call for applications] (in Czech). 2008-01-29. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  26. ↑ "Eurochor mit FL-Beteiligung". Liechtensteiner Volksblatt (in German). 2008-08-19. p. 19.
  27. ↑ "Participants - EUROCHOR". eurochor.isk.li. Archived from the original on 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  28. ↑ "EuroChor 2010" (PDF). Journal CMF. Confédération Musicale de France. March 2010.
  29. ↑ "EuroChoir". Trentino Cultura (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  30. ↑ "Eurochoir 2012". www.eurochoir2012.cz. Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  31. ↑ EUROPA CANTAT Pécs 2015 (2013-10-29). EuroChoir 2013 Pécs (Video). Retrieved 2026-04-13 – via YouTube.
  32. ↑ "Saintes : un chœur multilingue à l'abbaye aux Dames" [Saintes: a multilingual choir at the Abbaye aux Dames]. SudOuest.fr (in French). 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  33. 1 2 "EuroChoir 2020 Auditions". The Journal of Music in Ireland | News, Reviews and Opinion. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  34. ↑ "European Youth Choir 2026 | European Choral Association". Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  35. ↑ Newsflash #5, European Choral Association, October 2026
  36. ↑ Flüeli, Heinz. "Europa Cantat - Projects for individual young singers (english)". www.europacantat.org. Archived from the original on 2002-06-01. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  37. ↑ O'Rourke, Margaret (1994-06-21). "Barmaid with the golden tone - Katy's voice lands her a place in Euro Youth Choir". Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail. p. 5.
  38. ↑ "Milano 2015 | revoice". REVOICE! Ensemble. Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
  39. ↑ "EuroChoir and REVOICE". European Choral Magazine (2). 2014.
  40. ↑ Arini, Valeria (2015-05-12). "Coro Eurochoir–Revoice al Padiglione Italia". LegnanoNews (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-05-27.