International A Cappella Competition Graz, Austria

Kim Nazarian is a world renowned, Grammy nominated jazz performing and recording artist, educator and clinician. Besides her work as a sought-after solo vocalist, she has been performing all over the world with the vocal group “New York Voices“ (NYV) for more than 35 years. She is a jazz voice teacher for Vocal Jazz Majors at Ithaca College and she shares her perspectives on music and life as a musician through teaching private students in clinics, workshops, jazz camps and masterclasses, as well as through festival adjudication and guest conducting for singers on all levels in the US and abroad. One of Nazarian's most recent accolades was being awarded the "Jazz Educator of the Year 2023" by the JEN organization. She is the first female, and the first vocal jazz recipient of this prestigious honor. Continuing to climb the professional ladder, Kim has added Artistic Director to her list of titles, working with the established team of the DeMiero Jazz festival. Nazarian was recognized as one of the top 50 most influential Armenian artists in 2012 and inducted into her High School’s Hall of Fame. She is also proud to be the lead vocalist for the Latin influenced jazz ensemble “El Eco“, spearheaded by Argentinian drummer and composer Guillermo Nojechowicz; and appears as a featured vocalist on the 2 latest CD's of Gabriel Espinosa.

Tine Fris-Ronsfeld is a professional singer, vocal arranger/composer and choir leader based in Denmark. Tine is co-conductor and singer in the world-renowned choir Vocal Line, founding member of the award-winning experimental vocal group Postyr and former conductor of the a cappella choirs Lyt and the Danish National Youth Choir Syng Selected. She arranges for leading international pop and jazz choirs and is also known for her catchy compositions for Postyr. Tine has more than 20 years of experience teaching singers, choirs and vocal groups at all levels in Europe, the USA and Asia. She has published several award-winning albums and choir scores as well as 2 hand books on icebreakers and a handbook with vocal warm-ups. Tine is chairwoman of Aarhus Vocal Festival and a member of CASA’s advisory, the European Choral Association’s Singtank and the music commision of Leading Voices. Tine is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark with a master in pop/jazz singing and a soloist degree in pop/jazz choir leading.

Diploma as choir conductor (at Helmut Rilling), degree in musicology, PhD in “choir music in jazz”. Winner of the first prize at the national competition of voice (category jazz). Founder and manager of VoKAL ToTAL, the famous German vocal jazz quartet. Golden Diploma and 1st prize at the 4th international choir competition in Budapest, 1993. Two times ‘Jazz-CD of the Month’ awarded by the music journal “audio”. He is a concert and studio musician and his activities include: holding national and international courses in music for choirmasters, choirs and vocal ensembles, publishing choir arrangements and articles on voice and jazz choir.

For the past 11 year Andrea Figallo has been the bass singer and vocal percussionist of the Flying Pickets. He has studied voice and drama in Bologna, conducted choirs and performed with various vocal ensembles in Italy and Switzerland. Before becoming the youngest member of the Flying Pickets he worked as a studio singer for international advertising campaigns and was part of the internationally renowned Italian a cappella sextet Jazz’n Jam. Today he is a sought-after vocal coach in seminars, workshops and master classes. He also appeared on Bobby McFerrin’s new CD “VOCAbuLarieS”. Starting with 2013 Andrea has been singing bass with the famous German vocal group “Wise Guys”.