Swedish choir Zero8 won the 17th Gallus international choral music competition that wrapped up in Maribor on 23 April. Basque's male ensemble Suhar finished second, and the third place went to the Slovenian chamber choir Megaron, which also received the award for best Slovenian ensemble.

Eight choirs from Europe, Asia and the Americas took part in the three-day competition, including six mixed ensembles and two men's choirs, the Slovenian Public Fund for Cultural Activities said.

Having won the Gallus-Maribor grand prize, Zero8 is now one of the finalists for the European equivalent of the accolade, which will be presented in Varna, Bulgaria, in September.

"The acoustics of the Union Hall are exceptionally good. The echoes do not last too long, but they are still just right, enveloping us like a ring. Every time we stood on the stage, we said: We love this place," Zero8 choirmaster Rasmus Krigström commented on the competition's venue.

Founded in 2007, the Stockholm-based male choir is known for its award-winning take on barbershop genre. Since 2008 they have won many gold medals at all Nordic and European barbershop competitions, and placed third at the 2019 International Barbershop Championships in Salt Lake City, US.

A number of other accolades were awarded at this year's Gallus competition, including the award for the best equal voices, which also went to Zero8.

Krigström received the award for best performance of the mandatory piece - this year the composition was an arrangement of a Slovenian folk song.

Moreover, Mitja Gobec, musician and long-serving editor of the Slovenian publication Naši Zbori (Our Choirs), was honoured for his contribution to Slovenian choral music.

The competition is named after Jacobus Gallus (1550-1591), a late-Renaissance Slovenian composer.