Foreing tours

The Nitria Choir at the International Festival "We Are Singing Cracow 2026"

A Slovak Voice in the Heart of Krakow

In 2026, the Nitria Mixed Choir (NITRIA) achieved another significant success on the international stage. During the prestigious „We Are Singing Cracow 2026“ festival (May 8–10, 2026) in Poland, the ensemble proudly represented—with a high level of artistic excellence—not only the city of Nitra and the Nitra Region but also the rich choral culture of Slovakia.

The international festival brought high-caliber ensembles from eight European countries—Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic—to this Polish cultural metropolis. Under the baton of internationally acclaimed conductor Ondrej Šaray and accompanied by pianist Eva Izsáková Bogárová, the singers from Nitra showcased the power of Slovak artistry and earned thunderous applause from the international audience.

From Sacred Tones to Spirited Folklore

The repertoire presented demonstrated the extraordinary versatility of the Slovak choir. During the festival concerts, the choir performed sacred works by international composers Lee Dengler and Piotr Jańczak; however, the use of the Slovak language in a piece by Peter Duchnický proved equally compelling. NITRIA captivated the audience with its precise interpretation of both sacred and contemporary works, as well as a profound sense of dynamics and emotion. Yet, it was the Slovak compositions that brought the greatest enthusiasm and energy to the concert halls. The choir showcased gems of the domestic repertoire—ranging from the poignant *Aká si mi krásna* by Eugen Suchoň and the folk song about unrequited love, *Prší, prší*, to a spirited and humorous arrangement of another folk song, *Keď som išou z jarmoku*, crafted by contemporary Slovak composer Mária Jašurdová. This cheerful village tale about a return from the fair garnered an exceptional response, thanks to the choir’s energetic performance.

Singing in a Historic Hall and Deep Underground

 
The uniqueness of the *We Are Singing Cracow* festival lies in its exceptional, acoustically perfect venues. The Nitria Choir had the honor of performing at two iconic locations.

On the first day of the festival, the choir performed in the Florianka Hall at the Academy of Music in Krakow—a prestigious, historic concert hall—presenting a technically demanding program of sacred music, complemented by arrangements of folk songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MywWBUNo_WE

The following day, the singers ventured deep underground into the world-famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Performing the Slovak anthem-like song *Aká si mi krásna* ("How Beautiful You Are to Me") within the monumental Lill Chamber Hall—a space featuring a unique, natural echo—proved to be an unforgettable experience for all involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b6jgmAkSJs

This successful international tour and the choir’s festival performances were supported using public funds by the Slovak Arts Council (Fond na podporu umenia).

E. Runáková

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Nitria Choir at the We Are Singing Ljubljana 2025 Festival

On October 17 - 19, 2025, the Nitria Choir from Nitra had the honor of performing at the international choral singing festival called: We Are Singing Ljubljana 2025, organized by the We Are Singing Music Association in Ljubljana.

The capital of Slovenia welcomed us with beautiful sunny weather, interrupted by morning fog. After it dissipated, we could admire the 11th-century Ljubljana Castle towering over the city, the Ľubľanica River with a series of stone bridges (the so-called Trojmostie or Dragon Bridge) connecting the old town with the new, where streets with cafes, restaurants and bars alternate with a number of historical buildings in various architectural styles. Our guide also recommended an interestingLjubljana's Renaissance-style central market, where in addition to fruit and vegetables, meat and cheese, you can also find flowers and many local products.

On the first day of the festival, our choir presented a concert in the Julija Betetta Hall of the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana with an interesting repertoire including polyphonic songs, celebratory songs and arrangements of Slovak folk songs. The concert was conducted by choirmaster doc. Mgr. Ondrej Šaray, ArtD., and piano accompaniment was provided by Mgr. art. Eva Izsáková Bogárová.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n49cyZA04BQ&list=PLdacV1dJEoJASJNvhVLU7pytiHIe-bqWl&index=21

Participants and visitors could enjoy the special atmosphere of the concerts in the Great Concert Hall with exceptional acoustics in the world-famous Postojna Cave. Our choir performed here with Suchoň's hymn song “Aká si mi krásna, ty rodná zem moja” (How Beautiful You Are to Me, My Homeland). It closed its performance with the Slovak folk song “Ešte si ja” arranged by Mária Jašurdová.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te8Ln0uo3mY&list=PLdacV1dJEoJASJNvhVLU7pytiHIe-bqWl&index=11

An unforgettable moment for us was the joint performance of choirs from Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Estonia. In the Postojna Cave the song of the British rock band Coldplay: Fix you was heard. It was once again confirmed that music erases differences between nations and unites people of different countries and languages.

The highlight of the festival was the joint gathering of all choirs in the restaurant of the Hotel Jama, where, in addition to enjoying a huge cake with the festival logo, final thanks were given to the organizers and choirmaster. The session ended with performances by individual choirs. Our choir from Nitria performed here with the song “Anička, Anička, ty si trucovitá” by Mikuláš Schneider Trnavský with soloist Mgr. Ján Konárek.

Our participation in the festival was

 

E. Ivanová
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Nitria  Choir at the Cantate Dresden 2024 festival 

On 31 October - 3 November 2024, the Nitria Choir took part in the international festival called Cantate Dresden 2024. 15 choirs from Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Slovakia performed at the festival. On Friday, November 1st, we went on a city tour of Dresden, which pleasantly surprised us with its beautiful architecture and rich history and culture.  After that, we attended a concert in the Church of the Three Kings (Dreikönigskirche) together with three other choirs.

On Saturday, November 2, all choirs met for a joint concert in the Kreuzkirche.  With more than 3,000 seats, it is the largest and, with a 92-meter tower, the tallest church building in Saxony.  The concert featured compositions by Slovak authors M. Sch. Trnavský and J. Rosinský and the composition "Aká si mi krásna" by E. Suchoň, the Nitria choir touched the hearts of their singing colleagues from Bohemia.

We ended the concert with the common song of all the choirs, Cantate Dresden, which was a confirmation of the statement that music erases the differences between nations and contributes to their rapprochement.  

The final concert took place in the beautiful Church of the Mother of God (Frauenkirche), which was completely bombed during the Second World War and rebuilt and opened to the public in 2005. It was a pleasure for the choir members to sing in this place.

"Thanks to the festival, we had the opportunity to meet choirs from several countries and listen to their repertoire. Our goal was to represent well not only Nitra, but also the whole of Slovakia and to establish friendly relations with European choirs," the members of the choir explain.

The choir's participation in the festival was partially covered by the Art Support Fund/Fond na podporu umenia. The choir was also supported by the City of Nitra and the Nitra self-governing region.

- T.Kobidová -

CANTATE BAVARIA 2019

From 22nd to 24th March 2019 the choir Nitria have taken part at the CANTATE BAVARIA Festival in Munich, Germany. Festival was organised by the international Association music&friends(https://musicandfriends.com/). First concert took place in the church of St. Otto in Ottobrunn. The second day the performances of invited choirs from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic  and Slovakia have taken place in the King Palace Schloss in Nymphenburg, in well known Hubert hall. On Sunday,  24th March, the Nitria choir perfomed during the mass in the Stadtpfarrkirche Maria vom Guten Rat. Records of the concerts could be watched on youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlyN4l7ux-4.

The main aim  of NITRIA participation at the Festival was to  represent  and promote Slovak author´s  and volk  music adapted to choir and adaptations  of Slovak folk songs in Germany and bring closer some Slovak authors to public in Germany. Presented pieces belong to classic music of world musicians from different epoches  from Renaissance music as T. Tallis, L. Grossi da Viadana, A. Lotti through Romanticistic authors as Ch. Gounod to the present as T. Fettke, P. Villette, O. Gjeilo, but mostly Slovak musicians as M. Schneider-Trnavský, E. Suchoň , P. Procházka, I. Hrušovský, A. Mikula, J. Rosinský, Ľ. Bernáth and M. Jašurdová. Our participation at the music Festival CANTATE  BAVARIA was supported from a grant of the Foundation for Art Support.

- T.Kobidová -

From 23rd to 27th of April 2014 the Choir Nitria took part in prestigious international
festival of sacral music in Italian town Loreto under the title: „54a Rassegna Internazionale di Musica Sacra – Virgo Lauretano“. 

The visitors of this attractive pilgrims´ place had opportunity to listen sacral music, spirituals and folk songs at several performance places as a spacious Saint Mary of Loreto Basilica, at Town Theatre and on the main square as well. Every choir has an honor to sing directly at the Holy House, which was transported from Nazareth in medieval times.

The program of the festival and our stay was quite rich and various. There were different types of choir participants at the festival from children and students choirs to adult ones from several Central and Eastern European countries (Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Russia)  and from the Southern Europe  - Bulgaria, Croatia and Italia. It was pleasing that also Slovakia had its representative embodied by the choir Nitria under the baton of  ArtD. Ondrej Šaray. During five days´ stay our choirs had 8 concerts. At particular concerts every choir presented 2-3 songs, which created interesting musical mosaic as the choirs differ in their composition – membership, cultural background and individual peculiar interpretation.     

The most important part was Sunday mass celebrated by archbishop Mons. Giovanni Tonucci. The singers from all eight choirs divided into four voice groups have sung 4 motets – polyphonic compositions on spiritual texts and the ceremonial mass Missa Jubileum. Great conductor and the author of the mass father Giuliano Viabile had responsibility for harmony among voices.  All concerts were broadcasted by an Italian television. Nice accompanying event was so called Corinfesta taking place at square close to the fountain, where every choir could present its mother country and at their stands offer specialties, cookies and beverages from their national kitchen.

We would like to express our thanks to the President of the festival to Don Lamberto Pigini as well to other co-organizers for the excellently organized festival. In this very pleasant seaside town Loreto beautiful music joined different nations, different cultures and for all participants offered great artistic and spiritual impressions. 

-Hela Ivanová-

Based on the invitation from the choir Corale San Salvatore from Susegana from Treviso province on July 12, 2012 we went for tour to the north part of Italy. Members of  Nitria choir under the conduction of  Doc. Ondrej Šaray were the first representatives of Slovakia singing in Susegana.  The tradition was brought into life in 1984 and from that time already 34 choirs from 17 countries from Europe, America and Australia have been presented there.Nitria choir concerts ended by standing ovation, the audience shouted bravo or mille grazie and even one man, “moved to tears”  according to his words, expressed his attitude by a present - a box full of tomatoes and cheese.  Italian hosts prepared for us four days program full of pleasant impressions – official welcome by the mayor, sightseeing of Castello San Salvatore  and Venezia. We  enjoyed also a trip into steep-slope valley into mountain settlement Zoldo Alto, a walk in the town and on the beach  of Caorle.

In 2011 chairwoman of Petrovec Company (Petrovská družina) Mrs. Kvetka Benková invited our choir to meet again our friends  in town Báčsky Petrovec. On Friday, 23 September 2011, our choir had an evening  concert in an Evangelical  church in Báčska Palánka. After the concert we enjoyed kind hospitality at their manse. Concert was met with favorable reaction of audience and also of clergywoman Mrs. Jasmina Kotasová, On Saturday,  24 September 2011, we took part at annual  concert at Slovak Vojvodina theatre in Petrovec on occasion of  the 120th anniversary of  establishment of the first fellowship of Slovaks in Vojvodina  under the name “Petrovec Choir Assemble”. A lot of Slovaks  who are fond of Slovak folklore music and dance took part at the concert.  Our friends prepared for us wonderful trip to  the town Novi Sad and we enjoyed unforgettable view from the Petrovaradin fortress.

At the beginning of 2009 the choir Nitria under our conductor Doc. Ondrej Šaray made contacts with representatives of Slovak community in Báčsky Petrovec in Vojvodina.  In email correspondence we agreed on reciprocal trip – Nitria choir will visit  Petrovec and   Petrovec Company visits Nitra.  Artistic trip of Nitria choir on 22 – 24  May 2009 was supported also by Nitra town municipality. Nitria choir had four performances at different places during “Days of Petrovec” festival. Performance was successful and had a favorable response from  Slovak audience.

In 2005 Nitria choir performed its repertoire on occasion of the 50th anniversary of establishment of a choir in the town Ruinerworld in Netherlands.  The tour  took place on 7-12 April 2005 and it  consist from 3 concerts. First concert was common together with 2 domestic choirs  and at a close all together sung Gounod  mass Messe Bréve  accompanied by an organ. Nitria sung also part of Sunday mass in Catholic Church. In the afternoon Nitria choir had a single concert in the close Dutch town. Dutch host organization organized for us sightseeing of functioning windmill  and a music instruments museum.

From 20 to 26 September 1999 Nitria choir took part in International festival in Brazil town Juiz de Fora. Nitria choir was selected for performance in Brazil by a head of Art Agency Cansona in Bratislava based on  successful performance in competition in Topoľčany and at Easter concert at Klokočina.  From 20th September Nitria choir presented around  4-5 performances daily at different types of schools - basic, secondary and university, at shopping centers and on the streets and also in the evening concerts in churches, in theatre and municipality office.  The popularity we gained can be proved  by interest of Brazil Television – concerts were broadcasted twice, first time  in evening news and second time at the end of festival. Nitria choir members appreciated the concert tour as important artistic and personal experience  and also an opportunity to promote small and young Slovakia abroad.