BANJALUČANKE CHOIR WON THE GOLD MEDAL FINLAND

BANJA LUKA, MAY 18 /SRNA/ - The women's chamber choir Banjalučanke from Banja Luka won a gold medal in the category of traditional music at the Nordic Voices Competition International Choral Competition in Finland.

Conductor Mladen Matović told SRNA that he is proud because Banjalučanke managed to maintain continuity of high-quality competitive performances on the international choral stage in another important competition. "The most choirs performed in our competition category, so the title of category winner this time has even greater significance for us. I congratulate all members of the ensemble for another representative presentation of our culture and art, and for the great effort, love and dedication that went into this 21st international award for our choir," Matović pointed out. He added that the performances in the Sibelius Hall in Lahta were a unique experience for the choir members. "The very positive reactions of the audience, fellow conductors and the jury will be additional encouragement and motivation to be even better in the future," said Matović. He also stated that Banjalučanke now has a short break, followed by the continuation of the concert-competition season, in which the first significant activities are participation and performance in the framework of World Music Day celebrations, recording of a new compact disc, and then participation in the competition in Venice. The competition was held from May 14 to 18 in Lahta, organized by the INTERKULTUR World Choir Association. During the previous 15 years, the Banjalučanke choir achieved the most significant results in its history, winning gold medals at competitions in Linz, Amsterdam, Venice, Malta, Budapest, Barcelona, Magdeburg, Kalamata, Riva del Garda, and Rome. Two Olympic silvers were won at the Choral Olympics in China and the USA, while the greatest success is the winning of three consecutive Olympic gold medals at the World Choral Olympics in Riga, Sochi and South Africa.