2025
dr BERNIE SHERLOCK
Bernie Sherlock is a leading choral conductor. She has won international conducting prizes in Finland, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Slovenia and Ireland, and her adjudication and workshop engagements have taken her around Europe and to the US, Canada and China.
Bernie studied conducting with Ildiko Herboly-Kocsar and Peter Erdei at the Liszt Academy in Hungary, and with Gerhard Markson in Dublin. Following her BA in music from Trinity College Dublin she earned Masters and Doctorate degrees in conducting from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music/DCU respectively.
Bernie is the founder-conductor of the international award-winning chamber choir New Dublin Voices, critically acclaimed for its innovative concert programming and its work in television, radio, and recording. The choir has a strong record at Europe’s leading competitions, recently winning first prize at the International Competition of the 2019 Derry International Choir Festival, first prize in the mixed choir competition at the 2018 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Hungary, and the Grand Prix at the 2017 International Baltic Sea Choir Competition in Latvia. Among many other prizes, New Dublin Voices has previously come first in the international class at the Cork International Choral Festival (2015), the Grand Prix at Concoroso Polifonico in Arezzo (2013), all six prizes at the 2011 International Choir Contest of Maasmechelen in Belgium, and the Grand Prix at the 2009 Budapest International Choir Competition.
Bernie has extensive experience directing a wide range of choirs, including twelve years as Musical Director of the Culwick Choral Society, nine years as conductor of the University of Dublin Choral Society (Trinity College), and ten years as Choral Director at the TU Dublin Conservatoire where she is a Lecturer in Music and where she is currently conductor of the TU Chamber Choir and Youth Choir.
For 12 years Bernie was Artistic Director as well as tutor on the annual International Choral Conducting Summer School run by Sing Ireland at the University of Limerick. In 2020 she was appointed Artistic Director of the Irish Youth Choirs and she is currently second conductor of EuroChoir 2021. She is the representative for Ireland on the World Choir Council.
prof. dr hab. JOLANTA SZYBALSKA – MATCZAK
She graduated from the Faculty of Music Education of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław in the conducting class of Professor Zofia Urbanyi-Krasnodębska and completed Postgraduate Choral Studies in Bydgoszcz. Since 1991, she has worked at her alma mater, where she teaches choral conducting, among others. In the same year, she started working with the ‘Feichtinum’ Choir, first as an assistant (1991–1995), then the second conductor (1995–2005) and the artistic director (2005–2014). An important moment in her professional career came in October 2000, when the Senza Rigore Vocal Ensemble was established, currently operating at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław under the name of the ‘Senza Rigore’ Chamber Choir. With this ensemble she participates, among others, in prestigious music festivals as well as national and international choral competitions, at which she has won the highest awards and distinctions, including: Grand Prix at the “Birstonas Cantat” International Choir and Orchestra Competition in Lithuania (2018) and Grand Prix at the 11th Johannes Brahms International Choral Competition in Wernigerode, Germany (2019)
In the years 2008–2012, she held the position of Deputy Dean and then (2012–2020) Dean of the Faculty of Music Education, Choral Art and Church Music at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław. Currently, she is the Head of the Council for the Discipline of Musical Arts and the Head of the Chair of Choral Art and Ensemble Conducting. From 2009 to 2011, she conducted artistic activity with the “Voice Factory” Vocal Ensemble as part of the “Chopin a cappella” programme, which was successfully presented in Poland and abroad. The work of the ensemble is well-documented and confirmed by two CD albums, radio and television recordings, and the Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage received at the 23rd Bydgoszcz Musical Impressions in 2010. As a lecturer, she has cooperated with the Polish Choir Conductors’ Studio in Koszalin and with the Summer Academy at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław. She continuously cooperates with the Choir Academy – the National Programme for the Development of School Choirs ‘Singing Poland’. She has also conducted classes for choir members and conductors as part of the Polish National Youth Choir project. She is invited to participate in the jury of national and international choral competitions.
In 2014, in recognition of her wide-range activity she was honoured by the President of the Republic of Poland with the title of Professor of Musical Arts. She has received awards of the Rector of the Academy of Music in Wrocław, the Silver Badge of Merit for the City of Rybnik, the honorary Badge of Merit for the Polish Culture, the Brown Cross of Merit, the Silver Cross of Merit and individual awards for the best conductor won at choir competitions.
prof. VACLOVAS AUGUSTINAS
Graduated twice from the Lithuanian Academy of Music, receiving diplomas in choir conducting in 1981 and composition in 1992. Since 1992 he has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Vilnius Municipality Choir Jauna Muzika. Vaclovas Augustinas is a member of Lithuanian Composers Union and the Lithuaniain Choral Union. In 1993, as guest conductor, he participated in the Congress of Choirleaders in Växjö, Sweden. In 1996 he led master courses for choir conductors during the international festival XVI Jardanos Coralistas Aragonesas in Borja, Spain. In 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 he was a Chief Conductor of the World Lihuanian Song Festivals. In 1999 he delivered lectures and led the seminar at the world symposium of the International Choir Music Federation held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2000 he conducted the joint choir of the Nordic and Baltic Countries Choral Assembly. Since 2002 he works as a guest conductor with Netherlands Radio Choir, Chamber Choir of Novosibirsk Society, State Choir Latvia and with number of Lihuanian choirs. In 2015 he was a guest conductor at Kirchenmusikalishe Werwoche des Erzbistum Köln.
Augustinas often works as the juror at different national and international choir competitions (including Marktoberdorf International Choir Competition 2005, Latvian National Choir Competition 2013, World Choir Games 2014 and others) Since 2011 he constantly works as a juror at International Composers Competition Musica Sacra. His works are being regularly performed in Lithuania and abroad at various festivals, concert venues and choir competitions. Among them, his Hymne à Saint Martin for double mixed choir a cappella was awarded 3rd prize at the international competition for choral works Florilege vocal de Tours in France, 1996, and next year Stomping Bride for mixed choir and instruments was performed at the congress of the Association of American Choir Conductors in San diego, California. In 2004 he was awarded the prize for the best choral work Lux aeterna at the composers’ competition organized by the Lithuanian Composers’ Union, in 2006 – the Mūzų Malūnas Prize for his concert activities, in 2010 – the 1st prize for Calm and Quiet at the competition of choral composition, organized by the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre and the Lithuanian Composers’ Union. In 2010 he was awarded the most prestigious award in the country – Lithuanian National Arts and Culture Prize. Since 2011 Augustinas is a full time professor at the Lituanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
prof. dr hab. DARIUSZ ZIMNICKI
A graduate of the Vilnius Conservatory and the Academy of Music in Warsaw, he started choral conducting (class of prof. Ryszard Zimak). Professor of art.
Since 2020, he has been the head of the Department of Choral Conducting and Vocal Studies. Since 2004, he has led the Academic Choir of the Warsaw University of Technology and the Choir of the Warsaw Archcathedral. He is also the co-founder and conductor of the chamber choir “Tibi Domine”. He gives active concerts, conducting a cappella programs, as well as great vocal and instrumental works (L. van Beethoven, W. A. Mozart, G. F. Haendel, J. S. Bach, J. Haydn and works by contemporary composers).
He prepared and conducted the first performances of vocal and vocal-instrumental music. With his choirs he won many national and state festivals and competitions (over 50 awards), among others, also the biggest national choral competition – the Grand Prix of Polish Choral Studies.
Dariusz Zimnicki is an active animator of choral music life. He is active as a speaker, expert and juror in national and international events. He has given countless presentations, lectures and workshops in Europe, America and Asia. He is the author of numerous arrangements and dozens of original vocal pieces, where sacred themes predominate.
His work was honored with the Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
prof. dr hab. ANNA MONIUSZKO
Graduated with distinction conducting in the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music (Warsaw, Poland), where she began her academic career in 2003. In 2010 she received PhD degree in conducting, following with post – doc degree (habilitation) in 2015. In 2023 she received title of the Profesor of Arts. She continues to work in her Alma Mater giving classes on conducting and early music performance.
In 2003 she began her cooperation with one of the oldest academic choirs in Poland – The Choir of Medical University in Białystok, with which she won many prizes in international choirs competitions and was awarded with special individual prizes for the best conductor of the competition.
In 2005 she founded professional ensemble „Diletto” which specializes in historical performing of early music, especially of the baroque period. In over a decade the „Diletto” ensemble has staged 7 operas and many of the most famous oratorios such as Haendel’s Messiah, Israel in Egypt, Brockes Passion or Bach’s Christmas- oratorio, Eastern – oratorio, St. John’s Passion and many more.
In 2009 she was awarded with Scholarship for the Young Artists and in 2010 Scholarship for the Professional Artists founded by the President of the Białystok City. In the year 2016 she was honoured with the Artistic Prize of the President of the City of Białystok (Poland) for her artistic activity. In 2020 she was awarded with the title of “Zasłużony dla Kultury Polskiej” (Merit for Polish Culture) by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2023 she received Artistic Prize of the Marshal of Podlaskie Voivodeship and I degree Prize of Rector of Chopin Music University.