European Voices Association

Press Release

as of May 24th, 2012

European Voices Association open for membership now

The recently founded European Voices Association (EVA), a cultural

and educational non-profit organisation working for the development

and exchange in vocal, a cappella and choral music, has announced

that it is now open for membership application via the organisation's

website www.europeanvoices.org.

Founded by vocal music activists from Sweden, France, Germany and Denmark,

EVA has laid down its principles in the European Voices Manifesto,

a document that was signed by more than 80 musicians, teachers, composers

and non-profit organisers to create new opportunities for the growing vocal

music community in the countries of the European Union.

"We want to make people aware of each other", says Peder Karlsson, former

member of the groundbreaking Swedish vocal group The Real Group, to describe

the important role of international exchange, that is one part of the Manifesto.

Karlsson (now headmaster of the vocal music online school "The Real Academy")

as well as Jim Daus Hjernoe, professor at the renowned Aalborg Conservatory in

Denmark and Tilo Beckmann, vocal coach and co-founder of Germany's first

vocal group ever, 6-Zylinder, also stand for another central EVA goal:

To improve musical education for vocal groups, choirs, composers and arrangers.

EVA's German Chairman of the Board, Florian Städtler, emphasizes the importance

of teamwork and involvement of as many local, regional and national activists:

"This organisation will have a decentral structure: The practical work like

concerts, workshops, seminars and making music together will always be a

local and regional thing." Along with his board colleagues Peter Martin Jacob

(Germany), Céline Morel (France) and Volker Bauer (Germany) he now hopes

to "welcome members from all European Union member states" until the first

annual meeting at The Real Group Festival in Stockholm (August 16-19, 2012)

"For an annual fee of 60 Euro, you can be part of a pioneering project, that will

promote vocal music on three domains: Information, education and networking",

states Volker Bauer, EVA's treasurer. Becoming a member is possible via the

association's website www.europeanvoices.org. "Right now," adds French

festival organiser Céline Morel, "the organisation is young and has to develop

programmes and growing benefit for its members: However, it's vitally important

that we get the support from new members now. And it's so exciting to be part

of such a groundbreaking international project."

The fascinating variety and richness of the European festival scene has shown

that bringing people from different cultures and with various musical background

together can create a climate of creativity, tolerance, openness and understanding.

The steady growth of the vocal music community seems to prove the fact, that

singing is a basic human need.

"What's more," says Peder Karlsson: "Again and again I experience that singing

in groups simply brings out the best in people."

European Voices Association e.V.

c/o SpielPlanVier, Kartäuserstraße 14, 79102 Freiburg, Germany

phone: +49 761 38 94 74, e-mail: info@europeanvoices.org

www.europeanvoices.org

www.facebook.com/europeanvoicesassociation