Chorus Universitatis Šafarikianae (CHUŠ) represented our university at the international choir singing festival Corin Festival in Valsamoggia, Bologna, on October 3–5, 2025.
The concerts were held under the auspices of Music & Friends, an organization that regularly organizes non-competitive music festivals in Europe with the aim of bringing distant and different musical cultures closer together. The program of the 12th edition of the festival with international participation was truly colorful. Several other choirs and performers appeared at the festival: the male vocal ensemble INTO Vocal Group n’8 from Bassano del Grappa, Triglavske Roz’ce” da Bohinj from Slovenia, Dynamika Monteveglio, and the Cantorum School in Bazzano. The concerts took place in beautiful venues steeped in history: Gran Concerto at the local Teatro L. Betti (Casalecchio di Reno) and Choral Greeting at Villa Sapori Lazzari (Valsamoggia). The program concluded with a joint performance by all artistic ensembles.
The Emilia Romagna region in Italy offers visitors a variety of attractions between the mountains and the sea. Its capital is Bologna, a city of fairs and trade. The main features of the city are the arcades that connect roads, towers, and palaces, and its university, which boasts the title of the oldest university in Europe. The participating choir members had a unique opportunity to discover the city of Bologna and its unique monuments, such as the Basilica of San Petronio, one of the most beautiful churches in Italy, and the Two Towers (also known as the “Two Sisters”), the most famous symbol of the city and of Italy in general.
Under the direction of choirmaster Mgr. Jana Havrilová, the choir sang five songs, accompanied on the piano by Mgr. art. Dagmar Duždová:
♫ Povedz, že mi povedz – arr. Bohumil Čeněk,
♪ Povic mila, povic pravdu – arr. Mária Jašurdová,
♫ Nessun dorma – G. Puccini arr. C. Chini,
♪ Les Champs-Élysées – J. Dassin arr. Guillaume,
♫ Niech mówia, że to nie jest miłość – P. Rubik arr. J. Havrilová.
The beautiful architecture combined with the enchanting tones and excellent performance of our choir members provided the audience with a truly extraordinary artistic experience. By participating in the festival, the members of Chorus Universitatis Šafarikianae raised awareness of choral music, spread the musical culture of our region, and got to know groups from other countries who share their passion for the art of choral singing.
We thank our choir for representing UPJŠ beyond the borders of Slovakia and wish them much inspiration in their future artistic endeavors.
