Five Formats

The programme of Leading Voices is designed around five formats: LAB, LEARN, LET’S MEET, LITERATURE and LIVE. Sessions are further divided into subformats. You are likely to find something to your taste in each of the formats.

LAB

Unique to Leading Voices, this concept provides a space where participants and LAB-leaders are given the opportunity to experiment, with undefined outcomes. Get together with your peers in a LAB and start creating!

A LAB can differ in duration (half a day or several days) and has a presentation at the end of the session, which can be a performance, a lecture, a showcase – it’s up to you and your session leader!

LEARN

A more traditional way of learning from your peers. Attend a lecture on a topic that interests you, or join a masterclass or workshop led by one of the invited leading voices from various fields. Many session leaders will be giving both a lecture and a workshop or masterclass, so you can decide what format suits you best without missing one of your preferred session leaders.

For a number of sessions it is necessary to apply in advance, and some others require an audition. This will be made clear before registration starts.

LET’S MEET

This format includes lounges where participants and attending experts can meet. The sessions often focus on a particular topic or genre, and some will be hosted by our partners.

There will also be different round tables where experts will meet to discuss and exchange their experiences. You can join these as an opportunity to share your opinion on the topic.

LITERATURE

Unmissable in any event by the European Choral Association is the marketplace, where composers, publishers and other choral organisations from all over Europe come together to display their wares. Informal presentations and sessions will be hosted around this marketplace, freely accessible for participants as well as inhabitants of Utrecht. You will find this lively marketplace at the same venue where you can also find the central event desk, right in the middle of the city centre. Check out the venue in this virtual tour.

LIVE

Does what it says on the tin. Apart from the daily headline concerts, there will also be many presentations from the LABs and workshops. You will also find plenty of choir-2-choir concerts by various choirs in the side programme. Headline concerts are included in the full registration fee, choir-to-choir concerts in the side programme are open to all.