About Festival
Festival is open to all amateur choirs from the world, which will present their repertoire of advent, christmas and sacred choir music in the most prestigious churches in Krakow – Peter and Paul Church, St. Catherine church and other.
The international Jury panel will award Golden Angels and diplomas to the choirs in 5 categories. We also invite non-competetive choirs to take part.
Choirs will also take part in additional concerts in Krakow. We hope that our festival will be great occasion to listen many magnificent choral performances and exchange of experiences with other choirs.

RULES 5-7.12.2025
Download application form 2025:
application.PDF
application.DOC
All application for 2025 edition should be sent till 30.06.2025
Please send applications to:
MELODY
Ogrodowa 27A
05-509 Piaseczno, POLAND
You can also register by email:
krakow@christmasfestival.pl
Jury
Auditions will be evaluated by an international jury composed of:

Lena Ekman FriskMalmo / Sweden
Lena Ekman Frisk earned her master’s degree in choral conducting at the Malmö Academy of Music, Sweden, in 1993. Since 2000, Ms. Ekman Frisk teaches choral singing, methods, conducting and repertoire at the Malmö Academy of Music. 2012 she was promoted to Senior Lecturer. Since 2006, she is often employed as a jury member in diverse international choir competitions, e. g. in Minnesota (USA), Linz (Austria), Trondheim (Norway) and Gothenburg (Sweden). Academic year 2005-2006 she made a faculty exchange with Dr. Mark Munson. During this year, she taught choral conducting, methods and repertoire at College of Musical Arts, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, U.S.A. Ekman Frisk served 2008–2021 as the director within Southern Choral Centre – a cooperation between several distinguished music and educational institutions. The common goal is to stimulate choral activities and choral education in the southernmost part of Sweden. 2010-2016, Lena Ekman Frisk held the position as president of Swedish Choral Directors’ Association. In 2011 she founded the Malmö Academy of Music Women’s Chorus. In 2016 they received a Golden Diploma at the Gdansk International Choir Festival. The choir has released three CD’s – 2015: Spring Sketches, 2019: Good Tidings and 2023: Autumn Landscapes. Lena Ekman Frisk has an extensive professional experience, including appointments at several primary and secondary schools, where she taught general music and directed choirs. Ekman Frisk lives in Höör, where she also worked for several years within the municipal Music School, well-known for its ambitious musical and opera projects. 1983–1997 Ms. Ekman Frisk was Conductor of Husets Kör (House Choir), Malmö, working with choral theatre projects. Teaching at Kristianstad magnet school choir music profiled classes at Fröknegård School, Kristianstad was her major appointment 1996–2008. Every year traditional Lucia and Spring concerts were performed in Kristianstad’s Concert Hall with all 180 students. Two CD-recordings with Lucia and Christmas music were recorded. In 2021 she started a doctoral education within Music Pedagogy. The research subject is Choral Music Within Swedish Schools and disputation will take place in 2029.

Denis MonteUdine / Italy
He attended masterclasses and choral conducting workshops with esteemed internationally renowned conductors (Lorenzo Donati, Adriano Martinolli D’Arcy, Alessandro Cadario, Fred Sjoberg, Luc Guilloré, …)
He participated as a conductor in the “Festival di Primavera” for children’s choirs organized by Feniarco in 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2018. He collaborated with the italian singer Elisa for the choral arrangements of the CD “Ivy” and several musical productions (Amici, Ivy Tour, Arena di Verona, Luce in Cattedrale and many others).
He participated with Piccolo Coro Artemìa at the 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival where they performed with the italian singer Annalisa. In 2009 and 2015 he was awarded as best director at the National Choral Competition in Malcesine and Vittorio Veneto.
He conducts the Children’s Choir, the Young Voices Choir and the Piccolo Coro Artemìa in Torviscosa (UD) with which he has won several national and international competitions
Among others first prize in the equal voices category and Golden Angel at the Krakow Advent and Christmas Choir Festival

Josef SurovíkOstrava / Czech Republic
Josef Surovík (1975) is the founder and conductor of the Cantica laetitia mixed choir. He has also conducted other ensembles (Cantica Zlín, Sonet Vsetín, Moraviachor). He gained his professional education at Church Conservatory Kroměříž – subjects Church music and singing. From 1998 to 2004 he worked as a choir conductor at Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra, Zlín. He’s a lecturer of conducting courses and a member of juries in many choir singing competitions. In 2009 Josef Surovík was awarded the National Prize for choirmaster junior by Czech Choral Union. In 2012 he gained a Special Prize for Exemplary Work with the Youth Choir at FSU Jihlava. One of his latest projects is the Children’s Opera Zlín (founded in 2011). Josef Surovík is a member of expert committees Nipos-Artama for children and secondary school choirs. In September 2014 Josef Surovík was awarded by the Mayor of Zlín for his excellent achievements as choral conductor. With his Moraviachor won Golden Diploma at the Krakow Advent and Christmas Choir Festival 2023

Malgorzata Langer-KrólKrakow / Poland
Małgorzata Langer-Król – graduated Krakow Academy of Music in the choral conducting class of prof. Adam Korzeniowski. In the years 2003-2009, as a conductor and choirmaster, she worked with the String Chamber Orchestra and the Mixed Choir “Educatus” of the Pedagogical University
in Krakow . Since 2008, he has been leading the “Dominanta” Choir of the University of Economics
in Krakow. With this ensemble she won many top awards at competitions in Poland and abroad. She also cooperated as a conductor with the choir and orchestra of the “Passionart” Association, the Górecki Chamber Choir.
She received four individual awards for the best conductor at choral competitions and several awards for group recordings, including the prestigious l’Orfee D’or and the “Fryderyk” award. As a singer, she performs solo and choral parts, constantly giving concerts with: Octava ensemble since 2004, Collegium Zieleński since 2009, Górecki Chamber Choir since 2013. She cooperated with, among others: with the Cappella Cracoviensis choir in 2007-2015, the Krakow Philharmonic choir, the Krakow Opera choir, the Wrocław Opera choir, and the Polish Radio Choir. He promotes choral music around the world by giving concerts, among others: in the USA, Japan, Australia, Russia, Turkey and most European countries.
She has recorded many CDs as a conductor and as a singer, including: “Christmas Carols and Pastorals”, “Christmas Carols and Pastorals” with the Educatus Choir, “Opera Omnia” by Mikołaj Zieleński (6 CDs) , “Opera omnia” by Bartłomiej Pękiel (3 CDs), “Opera omnia” by Franciszek Lilius, “Live style”, “From church songs by H.M. Górecki”.

Marcin CmielWarsaw / Poland
He graduated from Warsaw Academy of Music in Prof. Ryszard Zimak’s class. In years 1997-2008 deputy conductor of Choral Society LIRA. Since February 2009 he has become the artistic director of Choral Society Lira in Warsaw. For years he cooperated with Warsaw University Choir and Stefan Wyszynski University Choir and others. He established and performed with choir Cantemus over 100 concerts. Jury Member of choir festivals in Warsaw, St Petersburg and Krakow. Conductor of Male Choir LIRA. With this choir he won several prizes e.g. at Orthodox Choir Festival Hajnowka, Gdansk Choir Festival, Wroclaw Choir Festival.
Prizes
In each category there are the following prizes:
Statuette of “Golden Angel” – for the choir with Golden Diploma with highest no. of points in each category.
90,00-100,00 points Golden Diploma
75,00-89,99 points Silver Diploma
60,00-74,99 points Bronze Diploma
Any choir with lower score – diploma of participation.
The Jury may award ex aequo prizes in all categories. The Jury may award also additional prizes and also more money prizes if festival has additional funds. Statuettes are hand made in Poland and are also beautiful work of art.
CATEGORIES:
- A. Mixed Choirs Adults – singers above 18 years (minimum 20 singers)
- B. Equal Voices Choirs Adults – Male & Female Choirs
– singers above 18 years (minimum 12 singers) - C. Youth Choirs – singers 13-19 years (minimum 20 singers)
- D. Children Choirs – singers under 15 years (minimum 20 singers)
- E. Chamber Choirs – no age limits (12-24 singers)
- F. Non-competitive – choir takes part in 1-2 additional concerts and gala concert
History
Contact
The best way to contact us is by e-mail:
krakow@christmasfestival.pl
You can also call +48603361616
Two weeks before arrival you will also receive a phone number to the volunteer who will take care of your choir during your stay in Poland.
Please send all correspondence by e-mail krakow@christmasfestival.pl
or by registered air mail to:
MELODY
ul. Ogrodowa 27A
05-509 Piaseczno (Józefosław), POLAND
All payments send to: (ACCOUNT IN EURO)
PL88 1090 1694 0000 0001 1554 3717 (SWIFT): WBKPPLPP
Bank: Santander Bank Polska S.A. al. Jana Pawła II 17, 00-854 Warszawa. POLAND
Holder of Account: MELODY, Ogrodowa 27A,05-509 Piaseczno, POLAND
please write in title “name of your choir”. All amounts we shall get net (you pay all transfer fees).
You can pay the registration fee by credit card here.