Susanna is also the Founder and Director of the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (MCE), which organised various symposium, national and international choir festival since 2002. Since 2007, Susanna has been regularly invited by INTERKULTUR, Germany, to be a member of the jury for the Asia Pacific and World Choir Games. She has been appointed a member of the Working Committee for the Asia-Pacific Choral Council, under the auspices of the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM), as well as at the Asian Choral Association (ACA) and World Choral Conducting Network (WCCN). Susanna is also an active speaker at various music education events, promoting effective music teaching in the 21st century. She currently the Vice-President of the International Kodály Society, the World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association, and the Malaysian Association for Music Education. She is also serves on the Advisory Board of INTERKULTUR and CHORALSPACE, Germany.

Additionally, he was invited to lecture and give workshops at the Oklahoma State University and University of Kansas, USA in 2018. He adjudicated the World Children and Youth Choir Competition in Hong Kong (2017), and the Bali International Choral Competition (2018) and The Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (2018 and 2023) and Singapore International Choral Festival (2024).

Some highlights of Zechariah’s compositions in 2018 include, 纪元晨光, performed by the Diocesan Boys’ School Choir (Hong Kong), which won the Best Male Choir award at the World Choir Games in South Africa. Reminiscences of Hainan and In the Bamboo Forest performed by the NUS Choir, was awarded the top prize at The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Assassination performed by Diocesan Choral Society (Hong Kong) won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Choir Competition in the same year.

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra commissioned and premiered Blossoms for Large Orchestra in 2017, 承 Flow to be premiered in 2020 and Singaporean Folk Medley in 2023. Zechariah Goh has collaborated with Ding Yi Music Company on a multi-disciplinary production with Chinese Chamber music, Documentary film and ceramics entitled Songs of the Dragon Kiln in 2017 and Memories of Childhood Nursery Rhymes in 2024.

For his artistic excellence in the field of music, Zechariah was conferred the Young Artist Award (Music) in September 2003 by the National Arts Council, Singapore. The award was presented by the President of the Republic of Singapore at Istana. Zechariah was awarded the Artistic Excellence Award from the Composers and authors Society of Singapore in 2013. Zechariah Goh was also presented with the distinguished Alumni medal from NAFA in 2014.

Dr. Shangkuan-Cheng’s conducting, academic, and teaching awards include the Levi Barbour Fellowship from the University of Michigan, the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Award from the Yale School of Music, the Margot Fassler Award and the Hugh Giles Prize from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, the 2022 – 2024 One UP Professorial Chair Award in Music for Outstanding Creative Work and Public Service and the 2023 UP Diliman Centennial Professorial Chair.

Performance and adjudication engagements have brought her to Belgium, South Africa, Germany, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Spain, Vietnam, Portugal, Singapore, and the US. She also regularly leads workshops in different parts of the Philippines.

Dr. Shangkuan-Cheng received a Bachelor of Music (summa cum laude) from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Music from the Yale School of Music and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan.

Tommyanto has also been elected as a member of the World Choir Council and representative of INTERKULTUR Indonesia since 2006, and has brought many Indonesian Choirs to perform on various international stages and competitions with great success. Became Artistic Director of The 1^st Asian Choir Games, November 2007, in Jakarta, and as a judge in World Choir Games in Xiamen-China 2006, Graz-Austria 2008, Shaozing-China 2010, Cincinnati-USA 2012.

In 2014 he became the representative of Indonesia at “One Asia Cultural Ambassador” held by “The Music for One Foundation”, South Korea. Then became the Conductor of the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Choir on May 4, 2016, performing at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. He was a speaker at the Asian Pacific Children Choir Assembly in Okinawa, December 2016, and The Summer Academy of Lithuanian Conductors in Vilnius, Lithuania, August 2017. He was a judge at the Suwon Choral Festival, and led a Workshop at the Jeju Senior Choir Festival – South Korea, the Claudio Monteverdi International Choral Festival in Venice-Italy 2019, Rimini International Choral Festival Italy 2024 and The Busan International Choral Festival 2022. Jeju International Choral Festival 2024, South Korea, Singapore International Choral Festival 2019, Malaysia International Choral Festival December 2022 2023 and November 2024.

He is a singing teacher and leads many Choir Development Programs for Singers and Conductors by doing seminars and workshops all over Indonesia.

Ramlo-Ystad has conducted both mixed and male choirs through the years, and has kept conducting the female choir Cantus since their beginning in 1986. Through Tove’s leadership has Cantus received a lot of attention, won several competitions and has recorded 9 CD’s. The three last recordings got a Grammy nomination. Cantus is known by their Nordic sound. This sound was the reason Disney discovered Cantus, and led to the choir being asked to sing in their animation movie ‘Frozen’ 1 and 2. Several of the works commissioned for Cantus through the years have become an inspiration for many other female choirs around the world.

Tove Ramlo-Ystad is music director for the Norwegian Choral Association.

He began his career at the of Portuguese Youth Choir (1990-1995) and the Ricercare Choir (1995-2002). With the Ricercare Choir he was awarded with 1^st and 2^nd prizes at the Certamen de Villancios (Madrid 1999) and II Certamen Internacional de Corales Polifonicas (Seville 1998).

He was also the founder of the acclaimed “a cappella” group “Tetvocal” (11 CD’s recorded including EMI, RCA/Victor, BMG and others) from which he was awarded with several prizes including Radio and TV.

Mr. Lourenço dedicates a substantial part of his work in performing contemporary music including more than 100 premieres of Portuguese composers in the last 25 years and the Portuguese premiere of Arvo Pärt’s Passio with the Hilliard Ensemble. He is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Summer Choral Festival that takes place in Lisbon being the most important choral event in Portugal.

His international career includes engagements in Turkey (Turkish State Polyphonic Choir), Spain (Coro de la ORCAM and Coro de la Radio Television Española), Poland (Filharmonii Wrocławskiej), Israel (New Israeli Vocal Ensemble), Mexico (Coro de Bellas Artes), France, Iceland, Germany, China, Singapore, Brazil, Slovenia, and USA as clinician at the “Ambassadors of Song” (an international male chorus symposium in Michigan University and as guest teacher at the University of Cincinnati. CCM.

He was the Portuguese Music Advisor for Europa Cantat from 2013 to 2018. Mr. Lourenço is also the president of COROS PORTUGAL since 2017 (Portuguese Association of Choral Music).

Known best for blending different styles, Başak has developed a distinctive method for leading singers. Her enthusiasm for bringing her own cultural background into the choral world has had an impact on rhythmic choral music. Central to her style is “Vocal Painting,” a series of signals that allows the conductor and choir to improvise together and create “music of the moment.”

Her new initiative “Vokal Akademi” has become the center for all the singers who want to master their singing and further their music career. In 2023, Başak was selected to represent Turkey at the World Choir Council and served as a jury member at the 2023 World Choir Games in South Korea. Also she is the artistic director and founder of VoiceUp A Cappella Festival, in Istanbul.

After his studies at U.S , he started his career as conductor and Artistic Director of World Vision Korea Children’s Choir until 2015. He was recognized by his musical ability through having more than 1,000 performances and he is still leading out to publicize the importance of education
through choral music for children and youth choirs. He also served as the artistic director for World Vision Korea Children’s Choral Festival until 2015 .

In addition, he contributed in Korea women’s choral music through publishing records and videos which were collaborated with Korean composers’ music for amateur women’s choir.

Also, he trained younger students and conductors as professor of Chung Ang University music school and others. From 2015 to 2016, he performed as the guest conductor of Shanghai Youth Choir and Hangzhou AIYUE Children’s Choir and Women’s Choir. Since 2019, he served as a professor of School of Music at Shenyang University in China and he still holds choral seminars for music educators from elementary and middle school regularly Heechurl Kim was also well known for choral seminar/workshops from various countries. Also, he was invited as jury from various international choir festivals such as, Mundus Cantat (Poland), Bali International Choir Festival (Indonesia), Singapore International Choir Festival (Singapore), Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (Malaysia), Leonardo Davinci International Choir Festival (Italy), and more.

Currently, he is the artistic director of Jeju International Choir Festival, World Youth Choral Festival & Competition in Jeju, chair professor of Dalian University of Foreign Languages, board member of Lotte Foundation for Arts, vice president of Korea Federation for Choral Music, board
member of Korea Church Music Association, conductor of Woong’s Choir, music director of United Singers, chairman & artistic director of Chunsong Foundation and Jeju Ladies Choir , vice president of UNESCO Jeju Association, and choir conductor of Myungsung church.

Also, he gathered youth from South Korea and North Korea and founded Korea Youth Choir with the purpose of sharing message of peace through singing since 2019.

From 1980 till 2024 he conducted the youth choir Cantilene and in 1989 he himself founded the chamber choir Cantando that is still under his artistic direction. The latter has won a great number of prizes in national and international competitions. He conducted the Flemish Radio Choir on a regular basis. He also conducted the Symphonic Orchestra of Ekeren (SEE) from 1988 till 2022.

Luc Anthonis is professor choral conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp (School of Arts). He is a standard member of the jury for choir contests, national and international and he is the Belgian representative of the World Choir Council.

Sirmais has conducted concerts with the Berlin Radio Choir, the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir, the Netherlands Chamber Choir and Netherlands Children’s Choir, Singapore’s ONE Chamber Choir, Šiauliai’s Polifonija, and other choirs worldwide. Sirmais performs regularly with almost all of Latvia’s professional orchestras, and has conducted ensembles such as Kremerata Baltica, Umeå Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Strings and others.

Sirmais was also the creator of the most vibrant symbols of Latvian choral culture, Youth Choir Kamēr…, for which he was Head Conductor from its founding in 1990 to 2012. He is also an active participant in the Song Festival amateur choir movement. Since 1998, he has been a Song Festival Chief Conductor, and he was the Artistic Director for the 2008 Song Festival Gala Concert. Sirmais teaches choral conducting at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and sits on the juries of several international choral and choral conducting competitions. He also gives popular masterclasses.

Vocal-instrumental pieces and music by Latvian composers play a large role in Sirmais’ concert programmes. He has conducted such pieces as Poulenc’s Gloria and Stabat Mater, Pärt’s Credo and Te Deum, Kancheli’s Styx, Honneger’s A Christmas Cantata and Joan of Arc at the Stake, Tavener’s Svyati, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, John Adams’ Harmonium, Taneyev’s John of Damascus, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and many others.

He actively commissions new pieces from Latvian composers and is a promoter of new choral music. Many pieces premiered by Sirmais have gone on to become choral classics sung by choirs worldwide. Sirmais has close, years-long professional relationships with composers Pēteris Vasks, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Rihards Dubra, Raimonds Tiguls and Raimonds Pauls. In anticipation of Latvia’s Centenary in 2018, the Latvian Composers for Latvia’s Centenary project, which was initiated by Sirmais, commissioned new pieces by more than 77 composers. Over three years and five concerts, the State Choir LATVIJA conducted by Sirmais premiered a vibrant array of new choral works, culminating in a grand finale concert on May 4th, 2018. In honour of this event, publisher Musica Baltica released a collection of these pieces.

Sirmais is a Bearer of the Order of the Three Stars, an honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, and the recipient of many titles and awards for his achievements in culture and for promoting the name of Latvia overseas.