TWO ROUNDS. ONE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.
The Festival Competition is the artistic heart of CantaRode. Across two competition rounds, each choir has the opportunity to showcase its musical quality, versatility and unique identity.
The first round focuses on a cappella music from different stylistic periods. In the second round, choirs create their own programme, offering complete freedom for an individual artistic interpretation.
Both rounds each account for 50% of the final assessment by a professional international jury.
Round 1 — The Challenge
Friday, 7 May 2027
Showcase the versatility of your choir in a complete a cappella programme with a minimum of 17 and a maximum of 20 minutes of actual singing time.
The programme must include music from different stylistic periods:
- Renaissance or Baroque
- Romantic period
- 20th or 21st century
- a composition by a composer from your home country, composed after 1990
Including a composition from your home country, composed after 1990, is mandatory.
You are free to determine the order of the works and the further artistic interpretation of your programme.
Round 2 — Your Programme
Saturday, 8 May 2027
In the second round, you have the freedom to showcase your choir’s own identity with a free programme of a minimum of 17 and a maximum of 20 minutes.
Choose your own repertoire, determine the order of the works and create a programme that represents your choir. Instrumental accompaniment is permitted with a maximum of five instruments.
Works performed in the first competition round may not be performed again in this round.
Solo performances should be kept to a minimum and are not included in the jury assessment.
IS YOUR CHOIR READY FOR CANTARODE?
CantaRode is open to amateur choirs and choirs affiliated with universities, conservatoires and music academies.
There are two categories:
Chamber Choirs
12–32 singers
Large Choirs
33 singers or more
Mixed choirs as well as equal-voice choirs are welcome to participate. Women’s and men’s choirs are equally welcome.
For the final results, both categories are combined into one overall ranking.
MORE THAN A SCORE
Your performance will be assessed by an international jury of five members. Each competition round accounts for 50% of the final ranking.
But CantaRode is about more than points. Every participating choir receives a written assessment from each jury member — valuable professional feedback to help your choir continue to grow.
FROM REGISTRATION TO SELECTION
After registration, CantaRode will review the submitted documentation. Selection will be based, among other things, on information about the choir and conductor, recent photographs and a recent live recording featuring at least three a cappella compositions.
As part of the registration, you will also submit a proposed programme for both competition rounds and for a regional concert.
Registered choirs will be informed as soon as possible whether they have been selected. Participation becomes final upon receipt of the registration fee.
MORE THAN TWO PERFORMANCES
Taking part in CantaRode means much more than performing twice on the competition stage. You will be part of the full festival experience: from the opening concert and a regional concert to CantaKerkrade, meeting other choirs and the joint award ceremony.
It is precisely this combination of competition, development and international exchange that makes CantaRode a complete festival experience.
READY FOR THE CHALLENGE?
Present your choir on the international stage of CantaRode 2027.
Registration is open until 15 December 2026.