15th International Youth Chamber Choir Festival on Usedom

The Usedom International Youth Chamber Choir Encounter is a unique European festival for young choir singers that takes place every two years in the summer on the sun-drenched Baltic Sea island of Usedom. Organized by the Arbeitskreis Musik in der Jugend e.V. (AMJ), it has been bringing together young people from all over Europe for three decades to make music together, learn from one another, and engage in cultural exchange.
Over the course of ten days of intensive musical rehearsals this year, approximately 200 singers aged 13 to 26 from Latvia, Spain, Poland, and Germany will study challenging choral repertoire and present the results in concerts on the Island of Usedom and in Wolgast.
In three artistic workshops in Zinnowitz, Karlshagen, and Krummin—led by three internationally renowned choral conductors, Basilio Astulez (Spain), Agnes Schnabl (Austria), and Başak Doğan (Turkey)—the participants will work on pieces in a wide variety of styles for girls’ and mixed choirs.
In addition to intensive rehearsals, there will be time for exchange, socializing, and shared experiences—whether through spontaneous singing on the beach, shared dinners, or concerts organized together, such as in Trassenheide, Zinnowitz, Karlshagen, Heringsdorf, Wusterhusen, and other inspiring locations on the Baltic Sea island.
But it’s not just young singers who can gain new inspiration for their own musical work: as part of the festival, a study tour is offered for choir directors, providing insights into international rehearsal methods, repertoire work, and choral pedagogy.
The International Youth Chamber Choir Encounter on Usedom, under the patronage of Minister President Manuela Schwesig, is more than just a rehearsal and concert project—it is a vibrant meeting place for young voices from all over Europe. Making music together and engaging in cultural exchange across national borders against the beautiful backdrop of Usedom—with its unique seaside resorts along the expansive sandy beaches, lined with shady forests—are at the heart of this special choral festival.