Since 23 August, in the centre and districts of the capital, the Moscow A Capella festival has been making noise every day. Collectives from all over the country, and even the planet, have competed with their vocal skills to win over the hearts of Muscovites and the professional jury. This international contest-festival’s award ceremony was held on 31 August in Zaryadye park.
The Zolani Youth Choir from South Africa won this year’s Grand Prix. The jury recognised Sonya Singleton from Moscow as the best performer in the "live looping" category. The young group PLUSFIVE won first place in the "small vocal groups" category. The female group U LIKE and Filipino group Pinopela won in the "medium vocal groups" category. The jury put Filipino choir, Los Cantantes de Manila, on the top of the podium in the "large vocal groups" category.
In 2024, teams will compete in four categories. The first, for groups of 1 to 3 members, involves the use of live looping technology, where musical phrases are recorded, looped, and played directly during the performance. The next categories are for groups of 2 to 4, 5 to 8, and 9 to 35 performers. All will perform exclusively live and unaccompanied in a variety of styles and genres. Each group will have three festival days to perform and showcase their skills.
A CAPPELLA's best hits
On August 23, hundreds of voices will fill the streets of Moscow. Celebrate the art of singing with our special playlist.
Performances will take place on traditional stages in ''Moscow Seasons'' district, as well as in metro stations, hotel balconies, city squares and gardens. Dozens of concert venues throughout the city await the audience.
More than 200 applications from Russia and 12 other countries were reviewed by the Moscow A Cappella Contest jury. The competition caused such a stir that it had to be extended for more than two weeks. Selected contestants will present their skills in a variety of genres: pop, jazz, folk, blues and others. Newcomers and previous contestants will perform a mix of their own compositions, international hits from various times and folk songs.
Jury
Performances will be evaluated by music industry professionals. The jury consists of famous singers, composers and other prominent representatives of the music world. Each will analyse the technique, purity of sound, harmony and originality of the presented performances.
