Vocal Ensemble “Intrada” (“Intrada”) (Intrada Vocal Ensemble) |

Entrance Vocal Ensemble

The work of the Intrada Vocal Ensemble is today an integral part of the most exquisite musical events in the Russian capital. The group specializing in the performance of early music was founded in 2006. Under the guidance of a young teacher of the Moscow Conservatory and a graduate of the Cologne Higher School of Music Ekaterina Antonenko united highly professional, passionately passionate about their work singers – graduates of the best music universities in the capital.

The Intrada Ensemble is a regular participant in the subscription program of the Moscow Philharmonic. The musicians made their debut on the stage of the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in the 2010/11 season: together with Musica Viva under the direction of A. Rudin, the ensemble performed J. Haydn’s Stabat Mater. This was followed by other joint projects with Musica Viva: the oratorio “Triumphant Judith” by A. Vivaldi, Dixit Dominus by G. F. Handel, the oratorio “Minin and Pozharsky” by S. Degtyarev, the opera “Oberon” by K. M. von Weber, “Magnificat” J. S. Bach and Symphony No. 2 by F. Mendelssohn. G. F. Handel’s opera “Hercules” (soloists Ann Hallenberg and Lucy Crow) was conducted by Christopher Mulds.

Under the direction of Peter Neumann, the ensemble performed W. A. ​​Mozart’s Requiem (2014), and also took part in a concert performance of G. F. Handel’s opera “Acis and Galatea” in the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International House of Music (2013, together with the Pratum integrum orchestra) . In collaboration with the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. E. F. Svetlanov, under the direction of Vladimir Yurovsky, the team performed excerpts from the opera “The Fairy Queen” by G. Purcell and F. Mendelssohn’s music for Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Concert Hall. Tchaikovsky. Together with the State Academic Chamber Orchestra of Russia conducted by Alexei Utkin, the famous Gloria by A. Vivaldi (2014) was performed.

One of the main events of each season for the ensemble is the arrival of Peter Phillips (Great Britain), head of the famous ensemble The Tallis Scholars, to the Moscow Conservatory. In the Year of British Culture in Russia, with the support of the British Council, the Intrada Vocal Ensemble, together with Peter Phillips, initiated the Sir John Tavener Memorial Festival: in September 2014, concerts were held in the Rachmaninov and the Great Halls of the Conservatory with the participation of The Tallis Scholars.

Ensemble Intrada repeatedly took part in the festival “December Evenings of Svyatoslav Richter”. Having made their debut here in 2011, together with the Pratum integrum orchestra, the ensemble performed three choirs by T. Linley to W. Shakespeare’s tragedy “The Tempest”, as well as the chorus of J. Haydn “The Storm” (The Storm). In the 2012/13 season, as part of the band’s solo concert at the December Evenings festival, a program of works by G. Palestrina, S. Landi, G. Allegri, M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco and O. Respighi was performed. In the 2013/14 season, the audience was presented with a program of foreign music of the XNUMXth century, including the Mass for double acappella choir by F. Marten.

Intrada performed Russian premieres of contemporary music: G. Gould’s So you want to write a fuge at the Return festival (2010), J. Cage’s Four2 at the opening of the John Cage Musiccircus International Festival (2012), A. Volkonsky’s Lied as part of a concert “Dedication to Andrei Volkonsky” (2013), as well as the Moscow premiere of David Lang’s “Passion for a Match Girl” at the “Code of the Age” festival (2013) and its stage premiere at the Gogol Center (2014).

The young team has already managed to become a participant in artistic events “at the highest level.” So, in 2011, the musicians performed at the Montblanc de la Culture award ceremony for Valery Gergiev, along with Denis Matsuev and the Musica Viva orchestra.

The 2013/14 season was completed by the Intrada Vocal Ensemble with performances of the Parisian version of the opera “Orpheus and Eurydice” by K. V. Gluck in the Concert Hall. Tchaikovsky and W. A. ​​Mozart’s Requiem with the Russian National Orchestra in the Great Hall of the Conservatory.

In the 2014/15 season, Intrada takes part in a concert performance of the opera Alcina by G. F. Handel. With the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev will be performed “Nelson Mass” by J. Haydn, with the State Academic Chamber Orchestra of Russia under the baton of Alexei Utkin – “Coronation Mass” by W. A. ​​Mozart, with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra Musica Viva under the baton of Alexander Rudin – Passion cantata “The Last Sufferings of the Savior” by C. F. E. Bach and the opera “Fidelio” by L. van Beethoven. The team participates in the Earlymusic festivals in St. Petersburg and the Christmas Festival in Moscow.

Recordings of the concerts of the Vocal Ensemble Intrada were broadcast by the Kultura TV channel, Radio Orpheus, Radio Russia and radio stations Svoboda, Moscow Speaks and Voice of Russia.

Artistic director and conductor of the Intrada Vocal Ensemble Ekaterina Antonenko graduated from the Academic Music School at the Moscow Conservatory (teacher I. M. Usova) and the Moscow State Conservatory (Professor V. V. Sukhanov) in the class of choral conducting, as well as postgraduate studies at the Faculty of History and Theory of the Conservatory (supervisor – Associate Professor R. A. Nasonov ). In 2010, she won a competition for a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship, which allowed her to train in Germany: first at the F. Mendelssohn Higher School of Music and Theater in Leipzig, then at the Higher School of Music and Dance in Cologne with the outstanding conductor Markus Creed. Since 2012, Ekaterina has been teaching at the Department of Choral Conducting at the Moscow Conservatory.

On the initiative of Ekaterina Antonenko, master classes were held at the Moscow Conservatory by Peter Phillips (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), Peter Neumann (2012), Michael Chance (2007), Dame Emma Kirkby (2008) and Deborah York (2014) with Vocal Ensemble Intrada. She took an active part in the master classes of Frieder Bernius (2010, Denmark) and Mark Minkowski (2011, France), Hans-Christoph Rademann (Bach Academy, 2013, Germany).

Ekaterina constantly collaborates with leading European teams. In July 2011, at the invitation of Peter Phillips, she conducted the acclaimed ensemble The Tallis Scholars at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. She is a regular member of the Cologne Chamber Choir under the direction of Peter Neumann, with which she has toured to France, Norway and Germany.

Ekaterina Antonenko is a laureate of the VI International Competition for Young Choral Conductors (Hungary, 2011). 2011 NoelMinetFund Fellow. Recordings of her speeches were broadcast by Radio Russia, Radio Orpheus, Voice of Russia radio station and Danish National Radio. In 2013, Ekaterina defended her Ph.D. thesis on the topic “The Sacred Music of Baldassare Galuppi: Issues of Study and Performance”.

Source: Moscow Philharmonic website