The Clinicians

Marin Chonev, Bulgaria

Marin Chonev is the founder and leading choir-master of “Morski Zvutsi”, The Representative Varna Civic Chorus. He is a former lecturing professor in conducting at the Varna Open University, Varna Institute of Post Graduate Qualification for Teachers and the Plovdiv Conservatory. He is the founder and leading choir-master of the “Choir of Varna Boys” and “Young Men”. Professor Chonev regularly serves as a jury member at international choral competitions in a number of European countries. Chonev is also founder and president of the International Choral Competition in Varna, which is in the chain of five other European choral competitions: Tours, France; Debrecen, Hungary; Gorizia, Italy; Arezzo, Italy and Tolosa, Spain. He has been awarded the Honorable Citizen of the City of Varna award and a National Medal for Exceptional Achievements in the Sphere of Culture and Music, which is awarded by the President of Bulgaria.

Michael Shani, Israel

Michael Shani is recognized as one of Israel's most eminent conductors. Born and raised in Israel, Mr. Shani began his musical career as a cellist. He played in the kibbutz Chamber Orchestra and was the conductor of the Kibbutz Symphony Orchestra. He completed his musical training at the Tel-Aviv Music Teacher’s College, the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and at the Brigham Young University in Utah, U.S.A.

Michael Shani has served as music director of the Tel Aviv Philharmonic Choir, The New Israeli Opera Choir, the Vocal Music festivals of Tel-Aviv and Abu-Gosh and Zimriya. He has conducted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Ra’anana Symphony, the Beer-Sheva Symphonette and orchestras in Germany, Hungary, Czech, Lithuania and Italy. He was among the founders of the “Israeli School for Choral Singing”, established in 1986 in Tel Aviv and he continues to act as its academic director and principal conductor.

Mr. Shani is the head of the Choral Conducting Department at the Bucmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel-Aviv University there he teaches conducting and conducts the oratorio and the chamber choirs. He founded the Tel-Aviv Chamber Choir in 1987 and continues to serve as its music director.