Saint Nicholas Choir Litija wins 2026 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing
The Slovenian ensemble Saint Nicholas Choir Litija has won the 2026 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing, one of the most prestigious international titles in the choral world.
The 36th European Grand Prix final took place on Saturday 18 April at Union Hall in Maribor, bringing together five choirs that had each qualified through success at one of Europe’s leading international choral competitions: Arezzo, Jūrmala, Maribor, Tolosa and Varna.
Conducted by Helena Fojkar Zupančič, Saint Nicholas Choir Litija impressed the international jury with its natural musicianship, remarkable vocal ability and convincing interpretation of a diverse programme ranging from Renaissance to contemporary music.
Founded in 1989, the European Grand Prix is distinctive in bringing together only choirs that have already secured major international competition wins. The final is therefore regarded not only as a competition, but also as a showcase for some of the highest levels of choral performance, with ensembles presenting programmes designed to demonstrate technical command, stylistic range and expressive depth.
This year’s finalists were: Saint Nicholas Choir Litija, Slovenia; APZ Tone Tomšič Univerze v Ljubljani, Slovenia; Delaware Choral Scholars, USA; Gratia Chor, Indonesia; and Sibi Consoni, Italy.