COMPETITION CONDITIONS FOR MUSICA ORBIS GLORIA 2026

FESTIVAL DATE October 30 – November 1, 2026
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION UNTIL    March 31, 2026
REGISTRATION OPEN UNTIL June 30, 2026
SUBMISSION OF REPERTOIRE AND SCORES August 31, 2026
REGISTRATION FEE 200 EUR per choir

An Early Bird registration fee of 150 EUR per choir in each category is available until 31 March.

I. CATEGORIES

All non-professional children’s and adult choirs may apply. The conductor may be a professional.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

Category A – Open Repertoire

A1 – Children’s Choirs (up to 16 years)*
A2 – Mixed Choirs
A3 – Female Choirs
A4 – Male Choirs
A5 – Vocal Ensembles (up to 8 singers)
A6 – Youth Choirs (up to 21 years)
A7 – Senior Choirs
A8 – Chamber Choirs

Category B – Non-competitive

B1 – Children’s Choirs (up to 16 years)*
B2 – Adult Choirs

*Up to 10% of choir members may be older than 16 years, but not older than 18 years inclusive.

II. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Competition Categories (A)

Choirs must perform at least 1 a cappella piece
Other pieces may be freely selected and performed in any order
The competition performance must include an arrangement of a folk song or a composition by a Czech composer
The competition performance must not exceed 15 minutes (including entrance and exit of the choir)

Non-competitive Categories (B)

Free program, a cappella or with accompaniment
The non-competitive performance must not exceed 15 minutes (including entrance and exit of the choir)

III. GENERAL CONDITIONS

A choir is defined as an ensemble consisting of at least 12 singers.

To apply, it is necessary to complete the registration form by June 30, 2026.
The registration fee is payable within 14 days after the invoice is issued. The registration fee is non-refundable.

All participants must submit a list of competition and non-competition pieces with copies of scores by August 31, 2026. Choirs that fail to submit the list by the deadline may be disqualified.

For participation in the accompanying singing at the Mass in St. Vitus Cathedral, a sacred composition is required. The title of the piece and the name of the composer must be sent to the festival organizer together with the other scores by August 31, 2026. Choirs will receive the piece that will be performed as the joint final song at the end of the Mass.

Each choir will have a 10-minute sound check at a time specified by the organizer.

A piano will be available for both the sound check and the performance.

The jury evaluation is based on a 30-point scoring system with placement in Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels.

Choirs are responsible for their own travel expenses.

Participants from outside Prague are required to select one of the festival accommodation packages.

In case of cancellation or non-participation, the registration fee cannot be refunded.

The organizer reserves the right to selectively choose participating choirs if the number of applications exceeds the festival’s capacity.

IV. EVALUATION

The performances of individual competing choirs and their placement within the respective level are evaluated by a professional jury composed of recognized choir conductors and choral specialists.

The conductor of each choir may attend a short evaluation meeting with the jury, where feedback on the performance will be provided. This applies to both competition and non-competition categories.

Competition Categories (A)

The jury evaluates the overall interpretative level of the choir based on the following criteria:

a) Technical performance – vocal quality and singing technique, intonation, rhythm

b) Interpretation – dynamics, tempo, tone color, structure and phrasing, stylistic interpretation, etc.

c) Dramaturgy of the competition performance

d) Overall artistic impression

Placement according to points awarded:

25.00 – 30.00 Gold Level
20.00 – 24.99 Silver Level
15.00 – 19.99 Bronze Level
0.00 – 14.99 Honorable Mention

The winner of a category is the choir that receives the highest number of points within that category. The overall winner of the competition is the choir with the highest score across all categories. The jury may award additional special prizes at its discretion.

GRAND PRIX AWARD

The special Grand Prix Award is granted to the choir achieving the highest overall score across all categories.

V. FINAL PROVISIONS

The organizer reserves the right to change the festival program.

By submitting the application, participants express their consent to the creation of audio and visual recordings.