5idelity (Germany), Comedy, Pop

Would you let this troop choose your wallpapers? Rather not … Well, good decision! The five high-school graduates from German Illmenau, who, according to their own statements, first met each other in the show room of a local optician, are not intending to attract your attention with their dain-ty taste in interior design but with quirky entertainment on highest vocal level. Crowned best en-semble at the “Bundescontest a cappella 2008” in the category “Pop Amateurs”, the five Vocaleros have been touring the German stages and TV world for quite some time now and offer uncompro-mising entertainment for everybody – no matter whether pretty or petty.

Chilli da Mur (Austria), Jazz

“Young, cheeky and damned fine are the three song thrushs of Chilli da Mur“, so an infatuated lis-tener judges – especially the latter can’t be doubted in case of the Styrian power-trio. Each one of the three-girl household would be able to sing any inconsiderate passerby into the ground while moving him to tears at the same time. A colourful potpourri from pieces from the early twenties, Styrian folksongs and saucy girlie hymns a la Lucylectric or R&B hits from Destiny’s Child make up the repertoire of the three Sirens from the region of Murau. Obviously it is more than easy for them to leave a permanent impression – not even Chuck Norris could resist the bewitching charms and musical pathos of the three.

ensemble singklang (Germany), Classical

The three native-born Saxons direct their musical attention to Renaissance as well as to 20th and 21st century vocal compositions for three parts. They present musical works especially written for min-imal settings which are hardly ever heard, as ensembles with more members usually omit those. The members of the trio, which was only formed in 2008, could gain extensive experience in prestigious German choirs and are now skilled at putting their knowledge into practice – reduction in volume increases density, that’s the way it is.

Female Affairs (Germany), Pop , Comedy

Harmonious! is not just the title of their latest album, harmonious is also this formation’s programme itself. The five female singers plus their “rhythm man”, as they lovingly call their one and only male member, manage to cast a spell over every audience with their extraordinary repertoire consisting of musical highlights from Mozart to Nina Hagen to Jamiroquai and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Every single one of their interpretations turns into a special “female affaire” which will undoubtedly also equally intoxicate the men in the audience.

get souled (Germany), Pop

Four women and two men from Thuringian Illmenau offer a cappella music from English Rock/Pop to German Hip-Hop and expressive Irish and German classics. The versions of popular earworms are mainly arranged by members of the ensemble and fascinate with their creative interpretations. get souled master the art of appealing to all senses, persuade with original ideas and give the audience shivers with their live performances full of contrast. Driven by musical curiosity and founded in spring 2002, get souled have won the hearts of many fans. The band is no regional insider’s tip any more, but enthuse beyond borders.

Hannover Harmonists (Germany), Classical

Vocal music comprises far more than the musical works of old masters such as Schütz, Bach or Brahms and a cappella music doesn’t end with the Comedian Harmonists. The Hannover Harmo-nists just love it to play with diverse genres and create varying programmes as they feel at home in all areas of vocal music. The sextet that already formed in 1988 originated from the famous Hanno-ver boys’ choir and have been showcasing their colourful repertoire made up of literature from the past five centuries – from classical ensemble music to madrigals, British and German folk songs, traditionals to classics, evergreens and hits of the last 80 years of pop music.

High Five (Germany), Pop , Comedy

With reckless utilisation of their juvenile charm, authentic appearance and not least their refreshing music, the five singers Hannes, Jannis, Luki, Sebi and Uli manage to vow audiences and fans from all age groups. It’s the rhythm rich in variety, appealing melodic, and witty and intelligent, often self-ironic texts about love and friendship but also the down sides of life that make the songs of High Five special and create intriguing shows on stage.

Hohes C (Austria), Pop

Six 17-year-old boys, ripened in the fertile gardens of Salzburg’s talent pool “Borromäum”, joined to present the world of a cappella with a new flavour last year: Hohes C. And this world reacted with rapture to the introduction! In February 2009 the six first faced up to the critical ears of the jury of the competition “Prima la Musica” and instantly won the first prize. A little later one decided to give concerts in a crowded Salzburg congress hall. So don’t be surprised if the audience jumps from their seats in excitement during a show of this bundle of energy – it’s rich in natural vitamins and trace elements.

infinity (Austria), Classical

Also grown on fertile soil, namely the one of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the Styrian Youth Choir CantAnima, is this young ensemble. Highest ambition of the eight young Styrians is to work hard for each element of their repertoire in high-end artistic and musical quality – even if pieces have been written for choirs with a higher number of singers. infinity don’t like to be reduced to just one musical style, they successfully try out their talent on musical works of old masters like Heinrich Schütz, romanticists like Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, stirring gospels and finally of course explicit a cappella compositions penned by the King’s Singers or the Swingle Singers.

Jazzation (Hungary), Jazz

4:2! That’s not only the final score of the penalty drama of this year’s football world cup - Uruguay vs. Ghana – it’s also the beginning of a gripping thriller: Jazzation! The six girls and boys from Hungary in exactly this proportion take their audience and carry them off into a world full of swing and close harmony. The sextet formed in Budapest in 2005 and dedicate heart and soul to jazz and its “dirty chords, groove and freedom“, according to the own words of the young ensemble.

Muttis Kinder (Germany), Pop , Comedy

“Huh? Who else’s children could they be?” might one or another think by himself when hearing the name of the trio: “Mother’s children”. “Whosoever”, we soon think, because this lady and her two gentlemen would convince us in any case, no matter what they might choose as their name. Sitting over a glass of wine, so the official version, the three students at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Rostock first thought about singing together and voilà: In the following year they won the second prize at a German Youth Competition in 2004. Incited by their unexpected success the three actors and singers won’t let anything or anybody hold them back on their way and have since embarked on their mission to make their quirky-abstruse humour known among the people.

Quattro Pro (Austria), Pop 

Traditional, unconventional. This is the motto of the four voice talents from the Styrian region Mu-rau. While the four initially performed in traditional Styrian lederhosen when singing local treasury of songs they have now advanced to totally different musical areas. The pop and schlager repertoire of the quartet, continuously refined over the years since 2005, has earned the ensemble several con-cert tours (to Italy or Canada) and invitations to international festivals such as “Voice Mania”. Over the years they have become firmly established in the Austrian a cappella world and still continue to work: Always in search of the ultimate a cappella sound.

Sei Ottavi (Italy), Pop 

Three women, four men, six octaves … makes 0.857 octaves per person. Never mind! The seven powerful-voiced from Italian Mezzogiorno have plenty to offer, much more than pointless numbers games! Formed in 2005 the septet managed to wrap up the international “Solevoci Competition“ under the patronage of Kirby Shaw in Varese in 2007. In the following year the seven took part in vokal.total in the Styrian capital Graz, where they were awarded with a gold diploma. The public also responded well to their successful participation in nine of the twelve shows of the Italian talent show “X-Factor”.

Sjaella (Germany), Pop , Classical

The soul. The six-strong girl group have named themselves after this so unique and difficult to grasp essence of being. Presumptuous? Not at all, we think! Even though the oldest one among the six only got 14 in the year of founding in 2005, Sjaella (or Chickpeas, as they called themselves back then) turned out to be an absolute up-and-comer in the German a cappella world. Helene, Felicitas, Marie, Franziska, Marie F. and Viola with their inexhaustible devotion and love of music, managed to do what others don’t, not even with a University degree: With enormous talent and diversity the dynamic sextet sneak right into the hearts of their audience.

Transister Radio Girls (Denmark), Pop 

This female sextet from Denmark has a unique history: Founder Bonnie Denise, who on her part is running a number of projects and had the chance to record, among others, for great musicians like Bobbie McFerrin, had sung all parts of her music on a loop machine herself. In order to be able to perform the songs live she founded the Transister Radio Girls who have since been touring Europe with their own music of pop and soul.

Unduzo (Germany), Pop , Comedy

Five former students of the University of Music Freiburg offer us the crème de la crème of a cappel-la pop with Unduzo. With their many own compositions and arrangements the quintet feels at home in both pop and jazz, where they always succeed effortlessly in bridging the gap between comedy and tragedy, between musical expression and slapstick.

Vocado (Sweden), Pop , Jazz , Comedy 

What do ABBA, Alfred Nobel and Vocado have in common? Correct, they all come from Sweden. However, the similarities with ABBA keep well within limits, and whether Vocado will ever be awarded a Nobel Prize is highly doubtful – however, the ensemble that formed in 2004 can come up with some awards! Two years ago they won for example the “International A Cappella Contest” in Leipzig chaired by Simon Carrington, founding member of the King’s Singers. With their extraor-dinarily broad repertoire from jazz and pop songs and their special bias for traditional Swedish lit-erature the six ladies and gentlemen could vow their audience at hundreds of concerts in Northern and Central Europe.

Wortart Ensemble (Germany), Pop , Jazz 

Poetry is in! And not only since Poetry Slams and Spoken Word Performances have become a per-manent feature of the German cultural scene. The five logophiles from Dresden live their love of contemporary German poetry in a delicate blend of texts from different writers such as Eva Strittmatter or Felix Wetzel and the music of their own arrangements. Although – or even just be-cause they are - strongly enrooted in European music traditions, the five skillfully combine influ-ences from classical music, jazz and pop in a unique symbiosis of poetry and sound.