After “Maska’s” successful participation in “Seghizzi” choir singing contest last year, where Janis Ozols was nominated as the best new conductor, he was invited to join the jury of the contest this year to judge the performance of the competing choirs alongside with well known professionals of vocal music, such as Simon Carrington – the founder and singer of the vocal group „King’s Singers”, Harald Jers choir conducting and musical acoustics research professor, Alessandro Kirschner – the promising Italian composer and others.

During the work in the jury Janis Ozols gave a presentation lecture on Latvian choir and “a capella” music and its present development, as well as introduced the listeners to creations of Latvian composer Rihards Zalupe. It is fitting here to mention that after the successful cooperation with Rihards Zalupe and “Xylem Trio” in 2010, choir “Maska” has expressed a wish to contionue to engage in new joint projects.