International Federation for Choral Music

The International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) is opening the call for the IFCM Youth Committee, for the 2026–2029 term. We are looking for up to eight young people, aged 18 to 28, one from each of the eight regions of the federation, to represent the youth in IFCM.

Member organisations may nominate candidates, and young people may apply on their own. The deadline is 31 October 2026.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for up to eight members, one from each of the eight regions of the world recognised by the IFCM Bylaws and Membership Policy:

• North America
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Middle East and North Africa
• Northern & Western Europe and Israel
• Central-Eastern & South-Eastern Europe
• Asia (Central, East and South)
• Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific)

You are eligible if you are aged 18 to 28 on 31 October 2026 — that is, born not earlier than 1 November 1997 and not later than 31 October 2008.

A choral background is preferred, in whatever form you have it: singer, conductor, composer, manager, organiser, teacher, student, volunteer, or participant in the IFCM YOUNG programme. We are looking for people who want to learn, who would be happy to express their thoughts in an international environment, and who want to carry ideas back to their own region.

You do not have to belong to an IFCM member organisation to apply.

What the Youth Committee does

The committee is involved in five ways:

• Voice. Each member joins one committee or working group of IFCM, and takes part in its meetings, bringing the voice of the youth to the process.
• Advocacy. The Board may ask the Youth Committee to speak on questions that concern young people in the choral sector, and to bring young people's answers into decisions.
• Leadership. Members are offered roles - as designers, team members or coordinators - on IFCM programmes and events, including the World Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM).
• The Board. Members are invited to the parts of Board meetings that concern the work they are doing, and are asked to speak there.
• Organising. The Youth Committee organises the YOUNG programme at one of IFCM's major events, and is encouraged to develop it and to propose new initiatives of its own.

The members select a chair and a vice-chair among themselves at the beginning of the term. The Youth Committee then can create its own task and role distribution (Secretary, Treasurer, Communications, Projects, Fundraising, etc.).

What we commit to

• One mentor from the Board of Directors, who checks in with each member of the committee quarterly, aside from the monthly committee meetings, and helps the work along.
• Bring the Youth Committee together in person around IFCM events, if budget allows.
• Reimbursement of expenses incurred in carrying out the work, approved in advance. Members serve without compensation.
• An evaluation once a year.
• A written confirmation of what each member did with us, at the end of the term.

The term, and what we ask of you

The term runs with the term of the Board and ends in 2029. A member may serve two consecutive terms, within the age limit, and apply again through a new call.

Plan for periodical online meetings of the Youth Committee, the meetings of the committee or working group you join, and the work in between. The working language is English.

How to apply

There are two routes, and both go through the same form.

A member organisation nominates you. Each IFCM member organisation is invited to nominate one young person, with a short letter saying why. Nominating is the most direct way for a member to put its own next generation in front of the federation.

You apply yourself. Any young person who meets the criteria above may apply directly, whether or not their organisation is a member of IFCM.

Apply through the online form: https://forms.gle/Dh9WxsdCXreGNmpH9

The form asks for:

• your curriculum vitae;
• a motivation letter of no more than one page, saying why you want to join and what you want to work on;
• the region you are applying for, and the committee or project you would like to join.
• If you apply yourself: Two letters of recommendation
• If a member organisation nominates you: the nominating letter and one recommendation letter

All documents are to be submitted in English. The deadline is 31 October 2026, 23:59 UTC.

How we select

The IFCM office checks every application against the criteria above and prepares the list of eligible candidates. The Board selects the members of the Youth Committee from that list, weighing what each candidate brings against the balance of the committee as a whole.

Dates

• 1 September 2026: The call opens
• 31 October 2026, 23:59 UTC: Deadline for applications and nominations
• Announced by 1 December 2026: the Board selects
• First quarter of 2027, online: first meeting of the new IFCM Youth Committee

Questions

Write to the IFCM office at office@ifcm.net.