Key Clinicians

We are delighted to announce that two of Europe’s most talented and experienced choral clinicians will be touring Australia for ChoralFest 2026 - Catherine Fender from France and Gints Ceplenieks from Latvia

Catherine Fender

Catherine Fender is a distinguished French choir conductor, vocal and choral pedagogue and creative force. Her work bridges music, movement, language and the human spirit. With over three decades of experience across the European choral scene, Catherine is recognised for her deep artistic sensitivity, pedagogical insight, and the originality of her concert and educational projects. She works with singers of all ages and levels, from young children to seasoned professionals, and is celebrated for her ability to build vibrant, expressive and cohesive ensembles.

Catherine brings a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to her work, grounded in a deep understanding of vocal anatomy, gesture and language. She studied voice at the Strasbourg Conservatoire and has continued to train with esteemed vocal coaches, while also delving into the fields of movement and somatic practices, particularly through partnerships with Dalcroze specialists, actors, choreographers, and stage directors.

As a founding member of the Choeur 3 Academy, a tri-national platform (France–Germany–Switzerland) dedicated to exploring the link between gesture and sound, she leads masterclasses and workshops throughout Europe. She is frequently invited to work with organisations such as IFAC (Institut Français d’Art Choral), Cadence – Pôle musical régional, Europa Cantat, INECC Luxembourg, and Landesakademie Ochsenhausen in Germany, as well as French national education programs for teachers and conductors.

Catherine’s recent high-profile collaborations include preparing choirs for the Lausanne Opera (Werther, Pinocchio, Carmen), for Monteverdi’s Vespers with La Chapelle Rhénane and for Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor with the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra. She has also prepared choirs for recordings such as Campra’s Requiem (CARUS, 2015) and composed the original experimental vocal soundtrack for the documentary Les Aventuriers d’un match perdu, broadcast on France Télévisions and Canal+.

Catherine is also a committed composer and arranger, with works published by À Cœur Joie Éditions, including Un Noël nouvelet for upper voices and harp, commissioned by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles. Her creative practice is inspired by a sense of play, spontaneity and authenticity - values she began exploring more deeply after her transformative encounter with Gunnar Eriksson in 2008.

Gints Ceplenieks

Gints Ceplenieks is an esteemed Latvian conductor, educator and clinician renowned for his inspirational manner and technical proficiency. Gints has a long association with the Australian Latvian choral community and the “Anna Ziedare” Lavian Summer High School (AZVV) in his role as Maestro Conductor and conductor mentor since 2017.

He is a graduate of the Liepāja Music School and the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he earned a Magister Artium in Choral Conducting. Among his greatest privileges was studying under the late, legendary Professor Imants Kokars (one of the last to do so) and singing under his direction during Kokars’ final years with the Riga Chamber Choir "AVE SOL".

Gints is one of the chosen few who are privileged to serve as chief conductors at the Latvian National Song and Dance Celebration - a 150-year-old cultural tradition. Leading the grand a cappella choir of 17,000 selected singers on the open-air stage at Mežaparks in Riga is, for him, a formidable challenge, a profound source of pride and an extraordinary honour.

In his daily life, Gints serves as the Principal of the Riga Cathedral Choir School, one of the most renowned music schools in the world. There, he feels equally fortunate to work alongside dedicated colleagues and, especially, with young people and children whose enthusiasm and passion breathe life into the ever-evolving world of music.

Passionate about sharing, teaching and learning, Gints has long been active in leading lectures, speeches, and hands-on masterclasses. His international teaching journey began in 2005 with a masterclass for young conductors in Prienai, Lithuania, and has since expanded across national and international stages. Among his most memorable experiences has been working with Latvian Diaspora choirs in Ireland, Brazil and Australia.

In 2021, Gints had the rare opportunity to teach in Nagaland, India, where he worked with children and young students of choral singing and conducting - an experience he considers one of the most unique and rewarding of his career.

Clinicians & Presenters

Aleta King

Developing comprehensive music aural skills to improve your singers capacity in the choral setting

Alex Hedt

Mobilising competition, co-operation and citizenship: Melbourne choral societies at the Geelong Competitions and beyond

Chris Blain

Finding Joy Through Community Music

Christopher Watson

A Workshop on the English Choral Tradition

Daniel Kim

How to be a Human Instrument: Beatboxing & More

Debra Shearer-Dirié

Developing comprehensive music aural skills to improve your singers capacity in the choral setting
Beyond the Score: How to utilize the performance space to its fullest potential

Joanna Drimatis