The Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir returns from across the pond with the Luciano Pavarotti trophy, 3000 euros and an internationally prestigious title.
Cal State Long Beach’s premiere choral ensemble was awarded Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales on July 10.
CSULB President Jane Close Conoley congratulated the choir in a tweet on July 10 calling the award a “big deal.”
However, according choir director Jonathan Talberg, it wasn’t just a big deal, but a moment he’s dreamt of his entire life.
The Welsh town of Llangollen has staged the cultural festival since 1947, and each year the competition gathers around 50,000 visitors and 4,000 competitors to participate in one of the five performance categories: choral, solos, dance, ensemble and non-competitive.
However, the climax of the 6-day festival is the awarding of the Choir of the World. The recipient of the award is selected after secondary performances by the winners of individual categories: Mixed Choirs, Youth Choirs, Female Choirs, Male Voice Choirs and Open Category give a second performance.
The Chamber Choir was selected over groups from all around the world, including Trinidad, Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe, Estonia, Czech Republic, Philippines, England, Finland and fellow Californian choirs.
“For me, it’s like winning the Super Bowl,” Talberg said. “Only perhaps even more thrilling.”