22 - 26 October 2025
Catalonia
Josep Vila i Casañas is one of the most recognized choral conductors in Spain. His specialism is the a cappella repertoire, as well as choral and orchestral literature down the ages. He is also a composer with a large number of works for choir and orchestra.
Josep is currently the chief conductor of the MDR Rundfunkchor in Leipzig, Germany. He has served as the resident conductor of the Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid (2022-2025), the Cor Lieder Càmera (1990-2006 & 2019-2022), the Orfeó Català choral society (1998-2016), the Cor de Cambra of the Palau de la Música Catalana (2011-2016) and the Radiotelevisión Española Choir (2007- 2010).
Josep has worked as a guest conductor with choirs and orchestras such as the Coeur de Radio France in Paris, the Spanish National Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir and the World Youth Choir (2010 and 2019). In his role as a chorus master, he has worked alongside leading orchestral conductors on the international music scene, among them Charles Dutoit, Daniel Barenboim, Daniele Gatti, Simon Rattle and Gustavo Dudamel.
As a composer, his main area of interest is music for voice and instruments, and he has written an extensive body of works for children’s and youth choirs, for mixed a cappella choirs and for choir and orchestra. Sanctus-Benedictus (1992) and Salve Regina (2001) are his works most frequently performed around the world.
Since 2005, he has taught choir conducting at the Catalonia Music Conservatory, Esmuc. He also teaches workshops, seminars and masterclasses on a regular basis mainly in Europe.
England
Sought-after for her dynamic and engaging teaching style, and her wealth of pedagogical experience, Amy is known for championing and inspiring young musicians in all disciplines. She is a passionate advocate for the craft of choral singing and choral conductor training, and truly values the privilege of adjudicating having been on juries at the London International Choral Conducting Competition, International Choral Festivals in Derry and Cork, Feis Ceoil, Choir of the Year, Music for Youth National Festival, Cheltenham Music Festival and many others.
With degrees in Piano Performance (UK) and a Doctorate in Choral Conducting (USA), Amy is the Director of Training for the Association of British Choral Directors and co-founder of the London International Choral Conducting Competition (LICCC). She leads choral conducting masterclasses and teaches at international summer schools, including Cork, Limerick and Sherborne. Amy’s successful online training course, Choral Leadership and Pedagogy (CLP), created as a direct result of the pandemic, enabled her to engage with choral conductors from all over the world.
A trained dancer, Amy applies Kodaly, Dalcroze and Laban principles in her work with choirs and conductors. She is known for her advocacy for female conductors and composers, and champions marginalised musicians through innovative choral programming, Discovery Days and private mentoring.
Amy has choral works published by Banks Music Publications, Multitude of Voyces and Choral Music Publishing, and is proud to be Musical Director of Corra Sound, Harlequin Chamber Choir, Nota Bene and Sempre Fidelis Singers.
New Zealand/Ireland
Mark Duley was born in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and studied at Auckland University, the North German Organ Academy and Amsterdam’s Sweelinck Conservatorium, where he was an organ pupil of Jacques van Oortmerssen.
Mark came to Ireland in 1992 and has held several major posts in the country, including organist and director of music at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, chorusmaster to the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, artistic director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and artistic director of Pipeworks. As conductor and organist he has appeared with most of the major Irish ensembles, including RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland, the Irish Baroque Orchestra, and his own chamber choir Resurgam. He has given organ recitals in all the major Irish venues as well as in the UK and his native New Zealand.
Mark is one of Ireland’s most well-known choral specialists, and has led workshops and masterclasses for choirs and conductors in Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe. His work as artistic director of Resurgam has received critical acclaim internationally, with a recent recording for the Resonus label of music by Thomas Weelkes – Gentleman Extraordinary – receiving the accolade of Editor’ Choice for Gramophone Magazine. Aside from a busy freelance career, Mark holds the posts of organist at the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas, Galway, and founder-director of St Nicholas Schola Cantorum.
Finland
Mia Makaroff (b.1970) is a composer, arranger, music teacher and a choir conductor. In 2003, she graduated from the Sibelius Academy as a Master of Music in Music Education studies. Her thesis was about creating a music teaching pedagogy using the therapeutical sides of music especially aimed at preventing youth drug addiction.
Mia Makaroff’s work includes teaching music to school children and young people, composing, creating and conducting different music projects. Song-writing projects for young people are a speciality of hers: altogether six school musicals have been written and performed by her pupils. Finnish folklore and poetry are great sources of inspiration in her composing work.
Many well-known song groups and choirs have brought Mia Makaroff’s music to a wider audience, such as Rajaton, King’s Singers, Amarcord and others. In 2006 she was asked to participate in an international Song Bridge-choir project as a composer. She has been teaching in mastercourses about composing for children’s choirs, in Neerpelt Belgium 2008, Aosta Italy 2010 and St Petersburg Russia 2014-2019. She has also worked as a juror and a lecturer in choir competitions and festivals, for example in The Interkultur World Choral Games in Cincinnati 2012. Theatre music is one big interest of hers: 2012 was the premier of her first musical for children and adults called Kruunulapset, “Crown Children”. Now she is working to build a national network of non-auditioned and inclusive children and youth choirs under the name of MunKuoro (munkuoro.fi) or MinKör (minkör.fi).
Scotland
Andrew Nunn holds 3 degrees from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS): a BMus(Hons); an MMus (Performance) and a Masters in Conducting which was awarded with distinction.
Since 2018 Andrew has held the position of Artistic Director of the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland (NYCNI) where he is responsible for the artistic delivery and direction of the organisation’s five choirs. Since 2012 Andrew has been Director of Choirs at the RCS Junior Conservatoire where he has developed a choral programme of five choirs age 8-18 involving around 300 singers every Saturday.
At the RCS Andrew is also director of the RCS Choir for undergraduate Vocal Performance students, a Kodaly Musicianship lecturer and conducting lecturer for Musical Theatre. Andrew also works regularly with adult choirs and since 2014 has been director of the Bearsden Choir, one of Scotland’s finest choral societies.
Andrew was also director of the Les Sirenes Female Choir which he led to win the BBC Choir of the Year competition in 2012. Andrew regularly prepares choruses for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and his choirs are in much demand, regularly broadcasting on both BBC television and radio.
