Regulations

1. Ohrid Choir Festival is held in the end of August in Ohrid, Macedonia.

2. Every choir and singing formation has the right to participate. The application deadline is 1 May extended to 15 June to allow participation of candidates which were not able to apply earlier.
   
   In order to apply a completed application form must be sent, including a photograph of the choir and the conductor as well as a recent audio recording. The requested materials can be sent by post or by e-mail.

   Application form (word also available)

   Invitation request

3. After the application deadline but no later than 5 May the names of all participants will be announced on the Festival web site: www.OhridChoirFestival.com. On a request by the applicant in a special circumstances the festival can send an opinion regarding the participation before the application deadline.

4. The selected choirs are required to pay non-refundable admission fee of 10 Euros per person no later than 20 May in order to confirm their participation. The participation fee is paid per person according the accomodation formula and must be completely paid before the first day of the festival. The total festival fee is given in the table below.

   
   Festival Fees Table

5. The Festival has five sections:

   • Section 1: "Open air" performances (required)
   • Section 2: Competition
   • Section 3: Folk music
   • Section 4: Sacred music
   • Section 5: Pop music
   
   

6. All choirs are required to perform in at least two sections, although, if they desire, they may take part in more than two sections. The first section of the festival - "Open air" performances is obligatory and the second one can be chosen by the choir.

7. Description of the Festival's sections:

   Section 1

   In the "Open-air" performances section - the choirs are required to perform a 20-30 minute program of their choice at several outdoor public locations. The "Open-air performances" are part of the Opening ceremony and their main goal is to attract the attention of wider public to the festival. The songs performed in this section can be the also performed in other festival sections.

   Section 2

   To participate in the Competition section, the choirs are required to perform a 15 (±2) minute program of their choice. Although, it is strongly recommended for the program to contain different styles of choral music and contain at least one composition by a Macedonian composer.

   
   Macedonian Choral Works

   (a password is provided on request)

   Since the program is intended to be vocal only, we will only allow you to have one or at most two compositions accompanied by instrument(s) which will last not longer then 5 minutes at whole. The performances will be monitored by an expert jury that will rank the choirs on different aspects of choral performance. According to the jury the chors will be awarded with diplomas:

   • below 70 points: diploma for participation
   • 70 to 79,99 points: diploma for III prize
   • 80 to 89.99 points: diploma for II prize
   • 90 to 100 points: diploma for I prize

   The choirs will be divided in several categories and subcategories:

   • Category A - children's choirs
     (2/3 of the participants must be 15 or younger)
   • Category B - youth choirs
     (2/3 of the participants must be 25 or younger)
   • Category C - adult choirs
     (1/3 of the participants must be older than 25)

   Subcategories for categories B & C may be added if the number of interested choirs in either of these categories is more than expected.

   The best choirs selected by the jury will perform at the final concert where they will compete for the Grand Prix of the Festival. The winner will be awarded with diploma: "Grand Prix: the best choir on the festival".

   Section 3

   The Folk music section is not competitive. The program must contain choral arrangements of folk songs or motives. The program should last 7-12 minutes. The choirs can be accompanied by instrument(s).

   Section 4

   The Sacred music section is not competitive. The program must contain sacred songs. The program should last 7-12 minutes.

   Section 5

   The Pop music section is not competitive. The program must contain choral arrangements of pop songs. The program should last 7-12 minutes. The choir can be accompanied by instrument(s).

   For all festival sections except the "open-air" performances only piano will be provided by the festival.

8. By applying to the Festival the choir agrees to respect and to regulate the legal rights of the authors of the works it performs and agrees to give rights to the Festival to use any material recorded during the Festival.

9. The information about the participating choirs are provided by the participants themselves and the Festival dose not take any responsibility regarding their accuracy. (for example: the name of the choir, the town and the country they represent, the names of the compositions and the composers and etc)

10. Organization Committee has the right to make any necessary last-minute logistical changes to the program. This does not include fees and lodging prices, they will remain as quoted.