THE HISTORY OF
INTERKULTUR
INTERKULTUR is a non-profit organization known for fostering international choral music.
Founded by Günter Titsch in 1988 in Germany, it has since gained renown for organizing choir competitions and festivals worldwide. These events are competitions and opportunities for cultural exchange and education in the choral community.
INTERKULTUR’s most famous event is the World Choir Games, often called the “Olympics of Choral Music.” This biennial event brings together choirs worldwide, regardless of their country of origin, level of experience, or musical genre. It’s a platform where amateur choirs can perform in front of an international audience and a jury of experts, fostering a spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect among diverse cultures united by their love of choral music.
INTERKULTUR has ties to 120,000 choirs made up of 4.8 million choral singers around the world. In the twenty years since it was established, more than 5,000 choirs and some 230,000 singers from 100 nations have taken part in the World Choir Games and INTERKULTUR’s regional choir competitions. We are extremely excited to be one of the blessed choirs who will add to this number!
THE HISTORY OF
THE WORLD CHOIR GAMES
The World Choir Games, known as the “Olympics of Choral Music,” is the largest global choral festival and competition. The games were first held in 2000 in Linz, Austria. The idea behind the games was to unite people through singing in peaceful competition, showing that the unity of nations through the arts can be effectively demonstrated. The choir singer Günter Titsch organized the first transnational choir competition with participants from Hungary and Germany in Budapest, beyond the then “Iron Curtain,” as early as 1988. To further develop and expand the concept, Titsch founded the support association Interkultur in 1990 as the competition’s parent organization. The association’s name was intended to express the organizers’ aim of uniting different cultures through their events.
The games are hosted biennially in a preselected city across the globe, where choirs compete in selected categories. The games focus on participation above winning and aim to inspire people to “experience the strength of interaction, challenging personality, and community equally by singing together.” The choir that attains the highest point and a gold medal in a category during the Champions Competition is awarded the title of “Champion of the World Choir Games” for that category.
THE 2024
WORLD CHOIR GAMES
THE WORLD CHOIR GAMES 2024 will be held in Auckland, New Zealand. The games will take place over 11 days in July 2024, with competitions held in various concert halls, churches, and large public venues across Auckland.
The event is renowned for its ability to bring together all nations and cultures in a joyful celebration of creativity, diversity, friendship, and peace. The New Zealand Choral Federation’s bid for the rights to host the games was backed by $7 million from the government’s Major Events Fund. This will be the first time the World Choir Games are held in New Zealand.
Competition Categories
- Young Children’s Choirs
- Secondary School Choirs
- University and College Choirs
- Vocal Ensembles
- Mixed Chamber Choirs
- Mixed Choirs
- Female Chamber Choirs
- Female Choirs
- Male Chamber Choirs
- Male Choirs
- Mixed Senior Choirs
- Senior Choirs of equal voices
- Sacred Choral Music a cappella
- Sacred Choral Music with accompaniment
- Music of Spirit & Faith
- Contemporary Music
- Jazz
- Gospel
- Spiritual
- Pop Ensembles
- Pop Choirs
- Pop with Choreography
- Folklore & Indigenous Music a cappella
- Folklore & Indigenous Music with Accompaniment
- Folklore & Indigenous Music with Choreography
Everything You Need to Know About Competing in the 2024 World Choir Games
