Chaplin Choral Coaching

Sevalanka Foundation, together with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Concerts Norway (Rikskonsertene), Soul Sounds and Aru Sri Art Theatre are proud to announce the upcoming visit of Professor Thomas Caplin, an eminent Choral Conductor hailing from Norway.

Prof. Caplin, together with Soul Sounds, will be conducting a series of workshops across the island from June 25 to July 2. There are workshops and master classes for Choral Directors, Senior School Choirs and Alternative Vocal Groups scheduled in Colombo; Workshops with Junior and Senior School Choirs in Jaffna along with a public concert with the trained choirs on June 30 at St. John's College, Jaffna. Entrance for this event will be free of charge.

The tour will come to a conclusion with the training of Junior and Senior School Choirs in Kandy. The overall aim of the tour will be to introduce innovative techniques and further upgrade the prominent field of choral music in Sri Lanka.

This will be the 15th musical tour in Sri Lanka conducted as a portion of a wider music cooperation established between the Norwegian Embassy, Concerts Norway, Sevalanka Foundation and Aru Sri Art Theatre. Norwegian Bands such as Ras Nas, The Indian Core, Nils-Olav Johansen Quartet, SISU, Classical Evergreens Opera, Kohinoor, Tindra, Fiddle & Dance, Sounds of Strings, Rolf-Erik Nystrom, Julie & Marie, Lucky 3 and 3 Trumpets have previously delighted Sri Lankan audiences.

Similarly, Sri Lankan artists too, have been provided the opportunity to captivate audiences in Norway. The Galle Music Festival and Jaffna Music Festival are also a brainchild of the Music Cooperation in its efforts to create greater musical and cultural awareness across Sri Lanka.

Prof. Thomas Caplin

Prof. Caplin received his education as a singer, conductor and choral pedagogue at the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen and at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. He is frequently engaged as guest conductor and clinician, and as adjudicator in competitions in Norway and abroad.

His publications include books on choral conducting in Sweden and Norway, as well as a number of compositions, arrangements and CD recordings. In 2004 he was awarded the recognition "Choral Director of the Year" by the Norwegian Choral Directors' Association.

He has received international recognitions for his leadership of the following choirs : The Lund University Male Choir (prominent male choir from University of Lund, Sweden, World Choir champions in Shaoxing in 2010), Chamber Choir Collegium Vocale (Norway) and Oslo University Male Choir (World Choir Champion in Xiamen, China 2006).

Internationally he was in the steering committee for the IFCM mentor program "Conductors Without Borders", and is the Norwegian representative in the Interkultur World Choir Council. His present employment is Professor in music at the Hedmark University College, Hamar (Norway). He presently conducts the Defrost Youth Choir, and is a leader of and singing member of the vocal group Nordic Blue.