A Celebration of Contemporary Choral Music
April 23 – 27, 2025 | Berlin, Germany

CHORALSPACE presents the second edition of WLKING IN BEAUTY – a festival dedicated exclusively to contemporary choral music.

The first event in April 2023 was led by Latvian composer and conductor Ēriks Ešenvalds. For the continuation of the event, we are very honored to welcome another star of the international choral scene: the Norwegian-American composer Ola Gjeilo.

Ola will be present at the festival as a composer, consultant, and workshop leader for the participants. Furthermore, Ola Gjeilo will accompany the 300-voice festival choir, directed by the conductors of the participating ensembles.

“Walking in Beauty” provides an opportunity for individual singers and choirs from around the world not only to perform works by Ola Gjeilo but also to bring contemporary choral music from their home countries, thereby offering young composers an international platform at the Philharmonie Berlin.

Ola Gjeilo

Ola Gjeilo is one of the most frequently performed composers in the choral world. An accomplished pianist, improvisations over his own published choral pieces have become a trademark of his collaborations. Although Norwegian by birth, it is perhaps Ola’s adopted country of America that has influenced the composer’s distinctive soundworld the most, evolving a style that is often described as cinematic and evocative, with a lush, harmonious sound.

Walking in Beauty Festival Choir

The Festival Choir, as in all CHORALSPACE projects, consists of participating choirs and ensembles as well as individual singers from around the world. The Festival Choir of the WALKING IN BEAUTY Festival is led by the conductors of the participating ensembles. Ola Gjeilo accompanies the festival choir on the piano.

The following works have been selected by Ola Gjeilo to be performed by the Festival Choir:
The Spheres
Tundra
Ecce Novum
Ave Generosa
Across the Vast Eternal Sky
The Rose
Ubi Caritas
The Ground

The works can be heard in a playlist created by Ola Gjeilo on Spotify: WALKING IN BEAUTY Festival Choir

Participating Choirs

Choirs and ensembles have the opportunity to participate in various activities of the festival. Involvement in the welcome concert, in one of the presentation concerts, in the showcase performance at the Philharmonie, and the festival choir, as well as a workshop with Ola Gjeilo, are part of the participation at the festival.
For the showcase performance at the Philharmonie, we would appreciate the presentation of a piece from the country of the participating ensemble.

Schedule of the project

APRIL 23, 2025
17:00 – 19:00 Rehearsals for the Welcoming Concert
20:00 – 21:00 Welcoming Concert (all involved ensembles) at the Luisenkirche

APRIL 24, 2025
10:00 – 13:00 Workshops with Ola Gjeilo
15:00 – 17:30 Festival Choir: Choir and Piano Rehearsal with Ola Gjeilo & Festival Choir Conductors
18:00 – 19:30 Get-Together
20:00 – 21:30 Presentation Concert 1

APRIL 25, 2025
10:00 – 13:00 Workshops with Ola Gjeilo
15:00 – 17:30 Festival Choir: Choir and Piano Rehearsal with Ola Gjeilo & Festival Choir Conductors
18:00 – 19:30 Get-Together
20:00 – 21:30 Presentation Concert 2

APRIL 26, 2025
10:00 – 13:00 Rehearsal at the Philharmonie Berlin (Solo showcases and festival choir)
15:00 – 17:30 Festival Choir: Choir & Orchestra Rehearsal with Ola Gjeilo & Festival Choir Conductors
18:00 – 19:30 Get-Together
20:00 – 21:30 Presentation Concert 3

APRIL 27, 2025
09:30 – 10:30 Placement and acoustic check at the Kammermusiksaal of the Philharmonie Berlin
11:00 – 13:00 Concert WALKING IN BEAUTY at the Kammermusiksaal of the Philharmonie Berlin

Overview of costs
for performers and friends

The participation fee of the project is EUR 95.00.
Non-performing accompanying persons are offered a reduced participation fee of EUR 55.00 per person that includes access to all rehearsals and the concerts.

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If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us.