Choir of the Choir Arts Academy |

Choir of the Choir Arts Academy

The first ever higher educational institution of vocal and choral art, the Academy of Choral Art, was established in 1991 on the basis of the Moscow Choral School named after A.V. Sveshnikov on the initiative and thanks to the persistent efforts of Professor V.S. Popov. From the very beginning of the work of the Academy of Choral Art, the mixed choir of the university, directed by V. S. Popov, was defined as a multifunctional singing group performing with extensive solo programs, as well as participating together with orchestras in the performance of large vocal and symphonic works.

The combined choir of the Academy (about 250 singers) includes a boys’ choir (7-14 years old), a boys’ choir (16-18 years old), student vocal and choir ensembles (boys and girls 18-25 years old) and a male choir. Excellent musical training, high professional competence and the completeness of the Academy’s choir groups of different ages make it possible to perform artistic tasks of any complexity, including the performance of multi-choir scores that require the participation of grandiose singing ensembles. Thus, the Academy Choir performed K. Penderetsky’s three-choir oratorio “The Seven Gates of Jerusalem” at the Moscow premiere of the work at the Moscow International House of Music (December 2003). An outstanding event in the world of music was the performance in Moscow with the participation of the Grand Choir of the Academy of the monumental oratorio by F. Liszt “Christ” conducted by E. Svetlanov in the Great Hall of the Conservatory (April 2000).

The choirs of the Academy regularly give concerts in Russia and abroad – in Europe, Asia (Japan, Taiwan), the USA and Canada. Among the undoubted achievements of the band is multiple participation in a number of prestigious music festivals: in Bregenz (Austria, 1996, 1997), Colmar (France, 1997-2009), Rheingau (Germany, 1995-2010) and, of course, in Moscow (Moskovskaya autumn”, “Moscow Easter Festival”, “Cherry Forest”, “Motsarian”).

Famous Russian and foreign conductors collaborated with the choirs of the School and the Academy: G. Abendrot, R. Barshai, A. Gauk, T. Sanderling, D. Kakhidze, D. Kitayenko, K. Kondrashin, I. Markevich, E. Mravinsky, M. Pletnev, H. Rilling, A. Rudin, G. Rozhdestvensky, S. Samosud, E. Svetlanov, V. Spivakov, Yu. Temirkanov, V. Fedoseev. Many modern composers trust the performers to premiere their compositions. Choirs of the Academy prepared for performance and recorded more than 40 CDs.

Separate choirs of the Academy, periodically combined into the Big Choir, are a unique singing group in terms of their performance capabilities and timbre palette, which is capable of bright, full-fledged artistic interpretations of all classical and modern choral literature. A full-blooded creative life is a distinctive feature of the Academy of Choral Art, which today has taken its rightful place on the world concert stage.

Since 2008, the combined choir of the Academy has been led by a graduate of the School and the Academy, a student of V. Popov, winner of the first prize of the First Moscow Competition of Choral Conductors – Alexei Petrov.

Source: Moscow Philharmonic website