Estonian conductors take top two places at international competition

Estonian conductors Ingrit Malleus and Danny Xie Zhizhong won first and second place at the fourth Fosco Corti International Choir Conducting Competition in Turin last weekend, ERR reported. Malleus also received a special prize from a youth choir.

A total of 92 applications were submitted for the competition, with 17 young conductors selected for the in-person rounds. Malleus, who is of Estonian origin and has been closely connected with Finland’s music scene for the past decade, and Singapore-born Xie Zhizhong, who has studied and worked in Estonia for nearly five years, were the two contestants with ties to Estonia.

Contestants had to pass five rounds to reach the final. Xie Zhizhong sings with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and conducts the chamber choir Avis Animi.

“With every competition, it feels as if you give away a piece of yourself, but something new seems to grow in its place,” Malleus said. She described the Fosco Corti competition as having a special atmosphere, where the process runs smoothly and everyone gives their utmost, resulting in three days of music that enriches all who take part.

The five-member international jury included musicians and choir specialists Julia Selina Blank of Germany, Risto Joost of Estonia, Karmina Šilec of Slovenia, and Italy’s Maria Dal Bianco and Antonio Greco.