anders (Freiburg) has stood for modern a cappella pop with clever German lyrics and a catchy sound since 2006. Originally a school band, the five singers now tour Germany with their own songs. They have been honoured with the CARA Award and prizes at Vokal.total and the St. Ingberter Pfanne for their musical skills – sometimes profound, sometimes ironic, always with heart and subtlety – at their concerts and productions.

Andi Richter (Berlin) is a community organizer and leads the project ChorYOUgend – Vol.2 for the German Youth Choir Association. With years of experience in initiating and leading participatory processes, Andi creates spaces that explore social participation and cultural expression in a playful way.

Anna-Lucia Rupp (Leipzig), singer and multi-instrumentalist, is deeply rooted in jazz with her projects Olicía, NOUK and Welten, but is also influenced by folk, pop, experimental sounds and electronics. She has already performed on stage with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Avishai Cohen and Sophie Hunger. She is currently touring with Kat Frankie's project B O D I E S.

Axel Berntzon (SWE) is a composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and poet. He studied jazz trumpet at the Royal Conservatory in Stockholm before joining the Real Group as their new baritone. Today he is also active with his own music, in which he combines genres such as jazz, Latin and the Swedish bard tradition.

Bernhard Schmidt (Freiburg) has been working as a freelance choir director, singer and lecturer in south-west Germany and Switzerland for around 25 years. He has been involved in voluntary work in clubs and associations for many years. As a ‘choir aficionado’, he is always looking for new ways to inspire even more people to sing together and to increase the possibilities for successful choral work.

Bill Hare (USA) is a Grammy award-winning sound engineer and producer - and a pioneer in the application of pop/rock production techniques to a cappella recordings. For over 40 years, he has recorded albums for world-renowned vocal groups including the Swingle Singers, King's Singers, Pentatonix, Wise Guys and Maybebop. He has worked with artists from Take 6 to The Beach Boys and produced for many famous university a cappella groups. With over 100 CARA nominations and more than 70 BOCA performances, he is one of the leading experts in the field of a cappella production.

David Brooke (Freiburg) studied school music (violin) and maths in Freiburg. Since then, he has been involved in the Freiburg choir scene, taking over the management of the Freiburg Jazz Choir in 2019 and leading the Junior Jazz Choir ever since. In 2022, he organised the ‘Chorwärts!’ festival. He also took over the Jazzchor Bern on a project basis and is a founding member of the a cappella group Kaleidoskop. He completed his master's degree in jazz singing in 2024 and was awarded the ‘Young Art!’ prize in Constance in 2023.

Elise Opezzo-Burger (Freiburg) accompanies — as a mindfulness teacher, massage therapist, educator and passionate singer — her students on their path to greater self-awareness and inner strength. With her experience from various fields, she helps them to discover and utilise their own resources in order to promote personal development and find more balance in life.

Erik Sohn (Cologne) grew up in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance and studied music and German language and literature in Cologne. After his state examination, he studied singing in Dortmund. In addition to his work as a classical concert singer, Erik Sohn is in demand in popular vocal music as a coach for vocal ensembles, a cappella bands and choirs. He is a professor of choral and ensemble conducting for popular music at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. There he directs the Vocal Journey choir and the annual voc.cologne festival.

Fama M’Boup (Berlin) navigates between genres and work methods after studying jazz. In 2022, she released her debut album “in June” with her ensemble, accompanied by a book. She is part of the a cappella group B O D I E S and collaborates with artists like Sophie Hunger and DOTA. She co-founded the art-pop loop duo Olicía with Anna-Lucia Rupp.

Felix Powroslo (Berlin) has had a career as a soloist in musicals and performance theater, as well as a Blue Man in the Blue Man Group. He is now recognized as an expert in stage presence and concert staging. Felix works with renowned stage professionals like Bodo Wartke and Maybebop, offers rhetoric seminars, and teaches at various universities. His coaching is known for its intensity and emotional depth.

Henrike Schauerte (Berlin) is the executive director of the German Youth Choir Association (Deutsche Chorjugend e.V.), responsible for fundraising and acquiring grants. The German Youth Choir Association is the largest advocacy group for young singers in Germany, organizing national singing projects for children and youth choirs.

Julian Knörzer (Freiburg) is an active beatboxer, singer, and choir leader in the German vocal scene, with groups like UNDUZO, Twäng!, and the Senior Jazz Choir. He also teaches internationally at Hochschule für Musik Freiburg and Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Tübingen. As a beatboxer, he specializes in accompanying vocal ensembles and co-founded Black Forest Voices in 2019.

Johannes Jäck (Freiburg) studied music education and music production at the Jazzcampus Basel. He founded the award-winning a cappella group anders and specialised in the production of vocal music. He works with ensembles such as the Jazzchor Freiburg, Twäng! and artists such as Yumi Ito and has received several awards for his work.

Katarina Henryson (SWE), co-founder and long-time member of The Real Group, is known for her flexible alto voice and stage presence. As a singer, artist and educator, she explores and develops a field of expression that could be described as "sonic performance art". She tours extensively with cellist Svante Henryson performing cross-genre chamber music. Katarina directs the Eric Ericson International Choral Centre, the concert series "360°" in Stockholm and conducts workshops for choirs and vocal groups. She also conducts two choirs in Visby on Gotland.

Kim Nazarian (USA) is a world-renowned, Grammy-nominated jazz singer, recording artist, teacher and lecturer. In addition to being a sought-after soloist, she has performed worldwide with the vocal group New York Voices for over 35 years. She teaches jazz voice to music majors at Ithaca College. She also shares her perspectives on music and life as a musician - in her own studio and around the world - in workshops, masterclasses, jazz camps, at festivals and as a guest conductor for singers of all levels.

Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning (DNK) is a professional singer, passionate teacher and technique enthusiast. He holds a soloist degree in vocal conducting from the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark, specialising in electronic voices. Kristoffer is internationally recognised for his innovative approach to electronic a cappella music, his latest technical toys on stage and his songwriting for Postyr.

Matthias Knoche (Berlin) studied jazz singing in Leipzig and performs as a flexible vocal artist together with Tanja Pannier in the a cappella duo ‘Klangbezirk’. He teaches choral conducting in jazz and pop at the Berlin University of the Arts, is in demand internationally as an arranger and gives workshops and coaching sessions for choirs, choirmasters and ensembles. Matthias Knoche regularly works with jazz greats such as Ed Partyka and Kim Nazarian. Concert tours have taken him to other European countries, South Korea, Singapore, China and Taiwan.

Merel Martens (NDL) is a choral conductor, arranger and coach. She received her Master's degree in ‘"Innovative Choral Conducting" from the Royal Academy of Music Aalborg (DK) in 2015. In the Netherlands she is known for her work with the award-winning vocal groups Pitch Control, MAZE Voices and VOÏSZ Vocal Projects. She coaches vocal ensembles, conducts workshops and founded the "Vocal Leadership" programme at Codarts Conservatory Rotterdam in 2015. In 2018, she was honoured as "Best Choir Conductor of the Year".

Owen Butcher (GBR) is a singer and vocal coach from London and currently one of the seven members of the Grammy award-winning vocal group The Swingles. With extensive stage and teaching experience and a particular focus on vocal health, he is a sought-after teacher in the UK and internationally. He regularly coaches choirs of all levels. This year he is particularly pleased to be part of the Black Forest Voices coaching team!

Panda van Proosdij (NLD) studied at the Rotterdam Dance Academy. She taught at Codarts Music Theatre in Rotterdam, worked with the Dutch Children's Choir, Youth Women's Choir and Wilma ten Wolde and developed the "Voice & Physique’" method, which promotes voice through body awareness. She gives workshops worldwide, creates "Choireography" for choirs and contributed to the success of the Aarhus Pigekor at international competitions. She has published books and e-books on her methods.

Peder Karlsson (SWE) studied classical composition, arranging, guitar and vocal group performance. He was a co-founder and long-time member of the a cappella group The Real Group, with whom he has recorded over 2000 concerts all over the world and 16 CDs. From 2011 to 2014 he directed Perpetuum Jazzile and is now the group's mentor. Since 2015 he has been teaching choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg. Peder is a founding member of the European Voices Association and part of the activism network End Ecocide Sweden.

Richard Leisegang (Leipzig) is a music teacher, singer and team player. Having grown up in Brandenburg, he first studied music and German in Freiburg to become a teacher and then — following his passion — classical singing. He has been singing in the vocal band UNDUZO since 2009. He writes songs and takes care of the band's organisational side. Together with Diana Labrenz, he founded the Leipzig Youth Pop/Jazz Choir in 2020 and leads the ensemble with her as a team. As a singing enthusiast, he loves to inspire people to make music together — since 2024 also as a music teacher at a grammar school under construction.

Sebastian Oberlin (Freiburg) studied music and mathematics for teaching in Freiburg, focusing on piano improvisation and conducting. He earned his master's in "Innovative choir leadership" at the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark. His career has been shaped by international concerts and projects with renowned artists. Since 2024, he teaches pop choir conducting at the Trossingen University of Music.

Stephan Lutermann (Osnabrück) is an award-winning choirmaster and founder and director of the CHOREOS ensemble. In addition to his work as a conductor, he performs worldwide as a pianist and organist. He has been director of the Forum Artium music academy since 2025 and is artistic director of the Musica Viva festival.

Sven Keet (NLD) is a dynamic choir leader, arranger, and beatboxer, currently teaching at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He leads multiple choirs and conducts workshops, sharing his passion and expertise with singers of all levels. Sven is committed to fostering inclusivity in music, ensuring that every voice, regardless of skill, background, or identity, can thrive in the choral world.

Tanja Pannier (Berlin) is a singer, composer, arranger and vocal coach and gives workshops for singers, choirs and ensembles throughout Germany and internationally. She is a founding member of the internationally award-winning a cappella duo Klangbezirk and has written theatre music for the GRIPS Theatre and Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, among others. She has been a lecturer and head of department for jazz/pop singing in the pedagogical study programmes at the Berlin University of the Arts since 2021. She has been Artistic Director of the Black Forest Voices Festival since 2022.

The Real Group (SWE) was founded in 1984 by five music students in Stockholm. Today the ensemble consists of Clara Fornander, Axel Berntzon, Daniele Dees, Joanné Nugas and Johannes Rückert Becker. Their concerts, workshops and publications inspire audiences worldwide. Their aim is to combine art with human rights, ecological and global awareness and a feminist way of thinking. Their repertoire ranges from jazz classics and pop to original compositions such as "Chilli Con Carne" and "Words".

Tine Fris-Ronsfeld (DNK) is a professional singer, vocal arranger, and choir leader based in Denmark. She is co-conductor and singer in Vocal Line and a founding member and singer of POSTYR. Tine arranges for leading international pop and jazz choirs and is known for her catchy compositions, especially for POSTYR.