Taipei: Taiwanese teams made a remarkable impression at the 14th World Choir Games in Helsingborg, Sweden, securing one gold medal, one silver medal, and five gold diplomas during the first phase of the competition, which concluded on Monday. Seven choirs from Taiwan, ranging from elementary school students to adult singers, participated in the event.
According to Focus Taiwan, the World Choir Games, organized by Interkultur and held biannually, are ongoing from last Thursday to August 16, drawing 8,500 performers in 200 teams from 40 nations. The event is often referred to as the "Olympics of Choral Music" and features two levels of competition: the Champions Competition for experienced choirs and the Open Competition for ensembles with less international competition experience.
In the Champions Competition, two Taiwanese teams with extensive international experience competed. Kaohsiung's Nibun Chorus achieved a gold medal in the Folklore and Indigenous Music with Accompaniment category, while the New Taipei City Junior Choir earned a silver medal in the Youth Choir category.
In the Open Competition, two choirs from the Dream Lotus team won two gold diplomas, ranking first in the "Music of Spirit and Faith" and "Adult Choirs of Equal Voices" categories, respectively. Taipei Municipal San-Yu Elementary School also secured a gold diploma in the Children's Choirs category, finishing in second place.
Most Taiwanese choirs have completed their performances, but Nibun Chorus is set to compete in the second phase of the Games, which began Tuesday and will run through August 16. They will participate in the Mixed Chamber Choirs and Vocal Ensembles, and Pop Ensembles categories in the Champions Competition.
Nibun Chorus, which previously won two gold medals at the 13th World Choir Games in 2024, received an invitation from the organizers to perform at the "Harmony of Nations" concert on Saturday and the "Peace Concert" on Tuesday. The choir also delighted audiences with a pop-up performance in downtown Helsingborg, featuring Taiwanese folk songs like "Moon Night Sorrow" and traditional songs of the Amis and Bunun peoples, including "Toril A Kaw".
Other Taiwanese choirs were invited to Friendship concerts, performing alongside choirs from various countries around the world.