Sam Nicholson on IFCM Youth Committee
29 Sept 2026
Sam Nicholson has just completed his three-year term as the Oceania representative on the Youth Committee of the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM).
Applications are now open for the next Youth Committee, so we caught up with Sam to hear what the committee does and where it has taken him.
What is the IFCM Youth Committee?
The Youth Committee is part of IFCM, the international body that links choirs, conductors, composers and choral organisations around the world. The committee was set up in 2023 to give young people across the globe the chance to learn, share ideas and develop their skills in choral music and leadership. Each member represents a different region, and I was fortunate to be selected as the Oceania representative.
After plenty of discussion, we settled on three big goals. The first was to amplify young voices – giving young conductors, composers, singers and choral leaders a platform to share their ideas and talents, and making sure IFCM events have activities aimed at young people. The second was to connect generations, by linking up experienced choral professionals with the up-and-coming generation through mentoring, workshops and joint projects. The third was to create more opportunities for education, particularly online, so that young musicians can learn wherever they happen to live.
Because we’re spread right across the globe, most of that work happens online – through social media, webinars and podcasts.
There were seven of us, each representing a different part of the world. Alongside me for Oceania, we had members from Türkiye, the Philippines, the USA, Chile, Cameroon and Ireland.
We’ve become great friends over the three years, and I’ve loved learning about their countries, their choral traditions and their lives.
What does being on the committee actually involve?
We met on Zoom about once a month, and in between we each worked away on our various projects. It isn’t overly demanding, but it’s very much a case of getting out what you put in. (The time zones are the hardest part – as the Kiwi on the committee, I got very used to late-night meetings!)
What sort of projects have you worked on?
Quite a wide range. We’ve run social media campaigns, helped with the World Choral Day campaign, presented at the Chorus America conference, and been involved in committees for the World Symposium on Choral Music. We also successfully advocated for a youth membership rate for IFCM, which is a small change that makes a real difference for young people wanting to get involved.
Another project I really enjoyed being involved in was Unison, our podcast series of interviews with leading conductors and choral leaders from around the world. I was lucky enough to interview Aotearoa’s own David Squire – you can listen to our conversation here.
Probably the IFCM Young Conductors’ Virtual Mentorship Programme, which I looked after. Over six months, we paired 14 emerging conductors with 14 experienced choral leaders from around the world (including John Rosser from NZ) for mentoring, learning and artistic exchange.
It was the first time IFCM had run the programme, and it was wonderful to see new friendships and artistic connections form across borders. I’m hopeful the programme will be repeated by the new youth committee.
It sounds like you’ve done some travelling too?
Yes, that’s been a big highlight. In 2024, the committee met in person for the first time, in Istanbul. I wrote about that trip for eBreve at the time, and you can read it here.
Then in August this year I travelled to Macau for the World Symposium on Choral Music. The Symposium is IFCM’s flagship event, held every four years. It’s one of the biggest gatherings of choral leaders in the world, bringing together top conductors, composers and choirs. I was there along with fellow New Zealanders John Rosser (IFCM Board Member), Jessica Kinney (Choirs Aotearoa NZ) and Chris Atkinson (NZCF National Advisory Council and Napier Girls’ High School).
My job in Macau was stage managing all the Gala Concerts and their rehearsals at the Macau Cultural Centre. It was a busy and stressful job, but it was a fantastic experience to work behind the scenes at a major international festival. I also got to hear so many fabulous choirs, including the University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers, Hamilton Children’s Choir (Canada) and Ansan City Choir (South Korea). And I had the chance to soak up some of Macau’s culture and meet all sorts of people from across the choral world.
Would you recommend the Youth Committee to other young New Zealanders?
Yes, absolutely. It’s been a great experience with great people. It’s also really valuable to have a Kiwi voice at the table internationally, and I’d love to see another young New Zealander pick up the baton.
How can people apply?
Applications are now open for the 2026–2029 IFCM Youth Committee. You can find more information and the application form here: Call for the IFCM Youth Committee 2026–2029.
Sam is happy to hear from anyone thinking about applying who would like to know more about the committee. You can email him at s.nicholson@outlook.co.nz.