1 - Eligibility:

The competition is open to choral groups from all over the world, with no restrictions on age, gender, or nationality, except for the Children’s Choir, with a maximum age of 14, and the Youth Choir, with a maximum age of 19. The choir must consist of at least 25 members without a maximum limit.

All choir members, except the conductor and accompanist, must be amateurs.

2 - Repertoire and Performance: 

Each choir will have a maximum of 15 minutes to perform, not including entrances and exits.
A cappella or with piano accompaniment.
The choir may perform from memory or with music scores.

Each participating choir will prepare and perform a set repertoire of 3-4 pieces of the following:

1. Required: A composition from their country, either folk or modern music.
2. Required: One piece of music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (not required for Children’s Choir).
3. Required: a compulsory music piece commissioned by International Santa Cecilia Chorale competition & festival.
4. One free choice. It could be anything.

For the Grand Prix Final Competition - free programming for 15 minutes, not including entrances and exits.

3 - Application Process:

The deadline for submitting applications is September 1^st, 2024. The registration form, fully completed and signed, must be sent to the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra, Scientific Secreteriat of the 1^st International Santa Cecilia Chorale Competition and Festival, to the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. together with the following documents:

1. A video recording of the choir singing live performance (free choice), not more than 10 minutes.
2. Short biography of the choir and the choirmaster in English (max. 1 page, word file).
3. Photos of the choir (pdf file or other in high-resolution).
4. Name list with birthdays of all choir members for hotel reservation.
5. Electronic copy of scores of each selected work.
6. Copy of the registration fee payment: bank transfer.

4 - Judging:

The competition will be judged by a panel of three internationally recognized choral conductors. They will evaluate the choir based on intonation, accuracy, blend, interpretation, and overall musicality. The final result shall not be contested.

5 - Conduct:

All participating choirs are expected to conduct themselves professionally and with respect toward the judges, other ensembles, and the competition organizers. Any disruptive behavior during the competition will be automatically disqualified. 

6 - Accompaniment:

Accompaniment is allowed, but only a piano may be used. Rhythmic instruments like bells, shakers, small drums, and similar instruments are allowed.

7 - Language:

The competition will take place in a basilica, church, or an auditorium that will have great acoustics.

8 - Technical Requirements:

The competition will take place in a basilica, church, or an auditorium that will have great acoustics. 

9 - Registration and Participation fees per person:

1. Registration fee of € 100 for each choir member and conductor. This fee is applicable to your hotel accommodation.
2. This fee will be refunded if the choir will not be admitted by competition committee.
3. In case of cancellation after the acceptance, the fee will not to be refunded.
4. Participation fee includes participation in all Festival & Competition events, 4 nights in religious guest houses with accommodation in multiple rooms (double and single rooms upon request & supplement), daily breakfast, round trip transfers to all events and from/to the airport, assistance by our professional tour managers, farewell dinner in a typical restaurant.
    

Upon request in advance and by paying a supplement the participants can be accommodated in 3 or 4-star hotels. 

Important: the technical and logistic organizer has the exclusive rights to supply the tourist services which form an integral part of the participation’s conditions.

10 - Registration deadline: September 1^st, 2024  

• Registration form must be sent by September 1^st, 2024 complete with registration and deposit payment (see below), short biography of the choir and the choirmaster in English (max. 1 page, word file), photos of the choir (pdf file or other in high-resolution), a soft copy of each score of the selected works.
• The total registration fee of € 100 for each choir member (singers + conductor) and 30% of the participation fees for choir members and non-participant choir members have to be paid at the moment of registration within September 1^st, 2024 (latest).
• Balance of the participation fee has to be paid within January 15^th, 2025.

11 - Prizes and Certificates:

Each category will compete on an assigned day.
Each category will have 2 winners: 

• First Prize - € 2.000 and Award Certificate
• Second Prize - € 700 and Award Certificate

Only the FIRST PRIZE WINNER of each category will compete for the GRAND PRIX FINAL COMPETITION on Saturday, July 12^th, 2025.

• FIRST & GRAND PRIX WINNER - € 10.000, Award Certificate, and an invitation to perform in Rome with the FONDAZIONE PRO MUSICA E ARTE SACRA, Cultural and Arts Foundation
• SECOND PRIZE - € 2.000 and Award Certificate
• THIRD PRIZE - € 700 and Award Certificate

Every choir taking part in the competition will be given a participation certificate.

12 - Festival

The "Festival" category is addressed to all ensembles who are not interested in the competitive aspect of the event. They will perform a set of 2 pieces:

• one taken from the sacred repertoire, without historical restrictions
• one free choice.

The performance will take place in the presence of a qualified jury that will express a technical evaluation at the end of each performance.

The choirs wishing to take part must send the registration form, fully completed and signed, to the Scientific Secreteriat of the 1^st International Santa Cecilia Chorale Competition and Festival, to the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. together with the following documents:

1. Short biography of the choir and the choirmaster in English (max. 1 page, word file).
2. Photos of the choir (pdf file or other in high-resolution).
3. Name list with birthdays of all choir members for hotel reservation.
4. Electronic copy of scores of each selected work.

12.1 - Participation fee per person:

1. Participation fee includes participation in all Festival & Competition events as spectator, 4 nights in religious guest houses with accommodation in multiple rooms (double and single rooms upon request & supplement), daily breakfast, round trip transfers to all events and from/to the airport, assistance by our professional tour managers, farewell dinner in a typical restaurant. 

Upon request in advance and by paying a supplement the participants can be accommodated in 3 or 4-star hotels. 

Important: the technical and logistic organizer has the exclusive rights to supply the tourist services which form an integral part of the participation’s conditions.

• 30% of the participation fees for choir members, director and non-performers must be paid at the time of registration no later than September 1^st, 2024.
• Balance of the participation fee has to be paid within January 15^th, 2025.

Every choir taking part in the “Festival” category will be given a participation certificate.

13 - Rules and regulations:

Any other rules and regulations governing the competition will be communicated to the participating choirs in advance before the competition. 
Rules and Regulations are subject to change in case of unforeseen circumstances.

14 -Scientific Secretariat – Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra

15 - Technical and Logistic Secretariat – Courtial International Srl

16 - Processing of personal data

For the processing of personal data given to the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra as promoter, patron and organizer in charge of the Scientific Secretariat, please refer to:

https://www.fondazionepromusicaeartesacra.org/privacy

For the processing of personal data conferred to Courtial International as the technical and logistical organizer in charge of the Technical and Logistic Secretariat, please refer to:

https://courtial-international.de/en/datenschutz3/