Bernard Krüger
Bernard Krüger is the Director of Music at Kearsney College, a leading independent boys’ school in South Africa where he is the conductor of their acclaimed choir. Previously, he was the Artistic Director of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School – the only dedicated choir school on the African continent.
He is a composer and arranger for local and international ensembles, a cappella groups, choirs and orchestras. Krüger studied music at the North West University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and did his conducting training at the Koninklijk Conservatorium (Royal Conservatory) in The Hague, Netherlands, with Jos van Veldhoven and Jos Vermunt. He received masterclasses from Simon Halsey, Paul Hillier, Jaap v Zweden, Tonu Kaljuste, Steve Reich, Masaaki Suzuki and Nathalie Stutzmann, among others. He is in demand as clinician and guest conductor in South Africa and abroad, particularly for South African choral music and performance practice and he regularly serves on the jury for local and international choral competitions and eisteddfods, such as the Johannes Brahms Competition in Germany, the Canta al Mar Competition in Spain, the European Choir Games and the World Choir Games.
His choirs frequently win prizes at local and international competitions and get invitations to festivals such as the European Youth Choir Festival, Europa Cantat and the ACDA National convention. Under his direction, his choirs have won a total of 9 gold medals, including 3 World Champion titles at the World Choir Games, the largest choral competition in the world. The Kearsney College Choir has been competing at this competition since 2000 and are one of the most celebrated choirs in the history of this event. In 2022, the Kearsney College Choir won the choir category at the Summa cum Laude competition in Vienna and in 2024 the choir won the Grand Prix at the Golden Voices of Barcelona competition in Spain.
Since 2023, Bernard has also been appointed as the Artistic Director for Group Projects for the Choral Celebration Foundation Network, which hosts a multitude of choral events that promote and elevate choral singing throughout South Africa. He is a firm believer that choral music will one day be the driving force that brings about peace and understanding across cultures, borders, religions and all nations on Earth.
Saul Zaks
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1961 and living in Denmark, Saul Zaks is an international conductor and mediator who connects people from different cultures and provides a cross-cultural communication through music and the arts.
He has been the conductor of The Musicology Students Choir at the University of Aarhus, and of The University of Southern Denmark Chamber Choir and Symphony Orchestra.
Saul Zaks is a guest professor in choral and orchestral conducting at the University of Buenos Aires, Universidad Católica de Asunción del Paraguay, Conservatorio Nacional de Bolivia, Universidad Federal de Rio de Janeiro and Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba.
He studied at The Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music & Dance, Israel, with Prof. Mendi Rodán, and at The Royal Danish Academy of Music Aarhus.
Saul Zaks is specialized in the music from Latin America and has performed and recorded with, amongst others, the composer Ariel Ramirez, the singer Mercedes Sosa, the composer & pianist Pablo Ziegler and the bandoneón players Daniel Binelli, Pablo Mainetti, César Stroscio and Rodolfo Marcelo Zanetti.
As Chorus Master, Saul Zaks has gained a nomination for the Danish Music Award 2006 - Best Classical Album - together with the Danish National Choir & Symphony Orchestra for recordings of “Choral Symphony & Requiem” by Asger Hamerik.
Additionally he has gained a nomination for the Latin Grammy Award 2016 in the category Best Tango Album - “Sax to Tango” - together with Pablo Ziegler, Julio Botti, Franco Pinna & The University of Southern Denmark Symphony Orchestra.
Together with Argentinean composer Martin Palmeri, Saul Zaks performed the Scandinavian premiere of “Misatango”, and the World Premiere of the “Tango Credo” at Lincoln Center, New York in 2017.
Today Saul Zaks is the Artistic Director & Conductor of the Misatango Festival Vienna (www.misatango.com).
In 2018 Saul Zaks was appointed Artistic Director for the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna.
Appointments in 2019 include the World Premiere of Martin Palmeri´s “Gran Misa” in Carnegie Hall, New York City, The International Music Festival in Bratislava and workshops and concerts at Hanover University of Music, Theatre and Media.