MUNDUS CANTAT
Develop singing skills traveling
The festival features dozens of concerts, hundreds of participants from all over the world, a kilometer-long Parade of Choirs along the route of the famous Monte Cassino Street, choral workshops and meetings with top conductors.
Stay with us longer!
Participation in the festival is an opportunity to discover not only charming Sopot, but also over a thousand-year-old Gdansk and modernist Gdynia. Do you want to stay longer? We can help you organize your choir’s stay!
Travel by singing!
This is an extraordinary opportunity to combine pleasure with utility. During the festival you will make many new and interesting acquaintances, spend amazing moments in a popular seaside resort and, at the same time, improve your technique under the guidance of international personalities from the musical community.
Grand Prix Mundus Cantat
Stand up to fight for the statuette of Sopot Seagull! On May 24 we will find out who will be the grand winner of the 21st edition of MUNDUS CANTAT SOPOT 2025.
Don’t wait!
The next edition will be held on May 23-24, 2025. We cordially invite you to Our Sopot – Pearl of the Baltic and Polish Capital of Festivals, a tourist resort!
Festival details
Important Dates
- January 15, 2025 – 1st deadline for sending entry forms with the registration fee February 28, 2025
- February 28, 2025 – 2nd deadline for sending entry forms with the registration fee
- March 20, 2025 – deadline for first payment for room and board – 50%
- April 10, 2025 – deadline for final payment for room and board
Terms of participation
- The competition part of the Festival will take place between 23 and 24 May 2025 in Sopot.
- The choirs pay the registration fee of 200 EUR (non-refundable) payable in the first deadline by January 15, 2025, and 300 EUR by February 28.
- Accepted choirs should pay the entry fee for participating in one category (8 EUR for each member, including the director and any pianists or musicians). The entry fee for participating in additional categories is 4 EUR per category for each member of the choir, including the director and any pianists or musicians. There is no fee for accompanying drivers.
- For the participation in the festival without participating in the competition 200 EUR.
- Should a choir withdraw from participation in the Festival, the entry fee will not be returned
- Accommodation and meals are provided in four different classes, depending on the choir’s choice:Class I – Double, Triple, Four and Multiple-person rooms in hostels, holiday centers or hotels 35 – 45 EUR, (additional fee for a single room),
Class II – Double, Triple and Four-person rooms in holiday centers, sanatoria or hotels 46 – 65 EUR, (additional fee of 20 EUR for a single room),
Class III – Double and Triple rooms in two-star hotels 65 – 80 EUR, (additional fee of 30 EUR for a single room)
Class IV – Double rooms in three-star hotels over 81 EUR, (additional fee for a single room) - The cost includes the price for one day of stay at the festival for one person; it covers accommodation in the appropriate class, meals (breakfast, dinner), participation in all events related to the festival, and a supervisor throughout the entire stay at the festival.
Festival program
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Arrival of participating choirs
4.00 – 6.30 pm Choral Atelier
7.00 pm Evening Concert
ART Inkubator, 3 Jakuba Goyki Street, Sopot
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Arrival of participating choirs
4.00 – 6.30 pm Choral Atelier
7.00 pm Evening Concert
Christ Church, 21 Obrońców Westerplatte Street, Sopot
Friday, May 23, 2025
10.00 am Choral Auditions
Stella Maris Church, 19 Kosciuszki Street, Sopot
4.30 pm Parade of choirs on Bohaterów Monte Cassino street
5.00 pm Opening Ceremony
7.00 pm Evening Concert
Church of St. George, 1 Tadeusza Kościuszki Street, Sopot
Saturday, May 24, 2025
10.00 am Choral Auditions
Stella Maris Church, 19 Kosciuszki Street, Sopot
1.00 pm Jury meets conductors
Stella Maris Church, 19 Kosciuszki Street, Sopot
5.00 pm FINAL CONCERT AND OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
Aula im. Tadeusza Ocioszyńskiego Wydziału Ekonomicznego UG, ul. Armii Krajowej 119/212, Sopot
Sunday, May 25, 2025
1.00 pm Concert
Church of St. Bernard, 41/43 Abrahama Street, Sopot Performer: Coral Nova Cordis, Medellin, Colombia
5.00 pm Evening Concert
Mamuszki 14, 14 Mamuszki Street, Sopot Performer: The Piligim Children’s Choir, Daegu, South Korea
DEDICATED CONCERTS
Thursday, May 22, 2025
11.00 am Concert MUSICAL JOURNEYS Dom Pomocy Społecznej, 49 Mickiewicza Street , Sopot Performer: Coral Nova Cordis, Medellin, Colombia
Friday, May 23, 2025
12.30 pm Concert MUSIC OF ROOTS
Dom Samopomocy – Ośrodek Adaptacyjny, Kazimierza Wielkiego 14, Sopot Performer: Coral Nova Cordis, Medellin, Colombia
12.30 pm Concert MUSICAL JOURNEYS
Sopot Autonomous Primary School, Aleja Niepodległości 739A, Sopot Performer: The Piligim Children’s Choir, Daegu, Korea
Free entrance to all festival events except for dedicated concerts and choral Atelier
The organizer reserves the right to change the program
Competition rules
- Only amateur choirs are eligible to take part in the Festival.
- The program should consist of different music of secular or sacral or pop, spirituals, gospel, jazz either a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment. All kinds of accompaniment allowed.
- Musical instruments must be provided by the choir.
- Each choir can participate in more than one category.
- The list of musical pieces to be performed for competition which a choir submits to the organizers should not be changed.
- Time of the performance should not be shorter than 12 min and longer than 15 min of pure singing time (it is the duration of the performed pieces excluding applause and going onto or leaving the stage). Should a choir’s performance exceed the prescribed time limit, the jury will interrupt the performance of that choir during the competition.
- The jury should be informed in writing before the choir performance about any changes in the key of presented pieces.
- Competition presentations will be judged by a jury, consisted of distinguished specialists in choral music.
- The jury shall award the following certificated based on the total number of prints awarded each choir:
Diplomas
– Diploma of Participation Less than 59,9 Points
– Bronze Diploma 60-74,9 Points
– Silver Diploma 75-89,9 Points
– Gold Diploma 90-100 Points
Category A
I prize – 3 000 PLN
II prize, III prize – Financial or material prize
Category B
I prize – 3 000 PLN
II prize, III prize – Financial or material prize
Category C
I prize – 3 000 PLN
GRAND PRIX – 7 000 PLN The GRAND PRIX the Statuette of Sopot Seagull and a special financial award.
Jury reserves the right NOT to select a winner in a particular category, if the jury assesses that the finalists in the category in question do NOT live up to the standards high enough. Organizators may add special prizes. - Jury decisions are beyond dispute.
- Choirs will be judged according the following criteria:
intonation, fidelity to the score, sound quality, programme choice, overall artistic impression. - Jury reserves the right NOT to select a winner in a particular category, if the jury assesses that the finalists in the category in question do NOT live up to the standards high enough.
- Organizers may add special prizes.
- Choir can take part in the festival again under take the condition that submitted competition repertoire will not consist of pieces performed during previous editions.
- Choir can resign from festival competition and take part only in the accompanying concerts.
- The Festival Organizers reserve the right to use any audio-visual recordings made during the Festival.
- The organizers may plan additional meetings and performances for participating choirs. Please see the Festival guidebook for more information.
- All choirs taking part in the Festival are requested be prepared to perform suitable pieces at the following events and email their repertoire:
- Opening Ceremony – 2 pieces
- Additional Festival Concert – 15 – 20 minutes
- Final Concert (decision made by the jury)
Competition categories
Category A: A Cappella Sacred Music
A1 – Seniors Choirs (2/3 of the participants must be older than 50 years)
A2 – Adult choirs (2/3 of the participants must be older than 25 years))
A3- Academic choirs (2/3 of the participants must be 25 or younger)
A4 – Children and Youth choirs (ages 19 and below)
Free to choose a stylistically diverse repertoire.
Category B: Secular and Folk Music
B1 – Seniors Choirs (2/3 of the participants must be older than 50 years)
B2 – Adult choirs (2/3 of the participants must be older than 25 years))
B3- Academic choirs (2/3 of the participants must be 25 or younger)
B4 – Children and Youth choirs (ages 19 and below)
At least one piece from the choir’s country of origin.
One piece can be performed with musical accompaniment but musical instruments must be provided by the choir.
Category C: Spiritual, Gospel and Jazz
Choirs are expected to sing without microphones or sound amplification systems.
The pieces can be performed with musical accompaniment but musical instruments must be provided by the choir.
In Category A,B and C time of the performance should not be shorter than 12 min and longer than 15 min of pure singing time (it is the duration of the performed pieces excluding applause and going onto or leaving the stage).
GRAND PRIX
All category winners with at least a Golden Diploma will have the opportunity to take part in the Grand Prix Competition. The program for each competing choir will consist of two freely selected pieces, which were not performed in any other competition categories.
Registration
The deadline for submitting applications and paying the registration fee is January 15, 2025.
The choir should send:
- A fully completed application form
- Competition program (name of the composition, composer full name, length of the compositions), (sent by e-mail in doc)
- Sound recording of the choir not older than 3 years (CD, mpr3, link)
- Five sets of scores of the pieces to be presented at the competition (the scores will not be returned, sent by the post)
- A brief history of the choir (ca.10 lines, sent by e-mail)5) a recent photo of the choir (resolution 300 dpi , photos, sent by e-mail)
- A copy of money order or bank transfer confirming payment for the festival fee
BANK ACCOUNT
MUNDUS CANTAT Foundation
23 marca 8a/37, 81-730 Sopot
CREDIT AGRICOLE Bank Polska S.A.
IBAN: PL76194010763078967400000000
SWIFT: AGRIPLPR