Slavyanka (a cappella group)

Last updated

Slavyanka is an American a cappella vocal group based in San Francisco. Their repertoire consists largely of religious and secular music performed in a variety of Slavic languages. Most of the group's singers have full-time jobs outside the group and do not speak the languages sung. [1] Originally a men's chorus, the group expanded to include women in 2013. [2] [3] It is currently under the direction of Irina Shachneva. [4]

Contents

History

Slavyanka was founded in 1979 by a group of former Yale Russian Chorus members including Paul Andrews, John McCarthy, and Peter Gleick [5] . The name "Slavyanka" was chosen in reference to a 19th century Slavic name for California's Russian River [6] . In 1983, the group became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Directors of the group have included founder Paul Andrews (1979—1993), Aleksei Shipovalnikov (1993—1996), Gregory Smirnov (1996—2011), and Irina Shachneva (2011—Present). The group started out with around 15 men and presently has a rotating membership of around 40 men and women.

Slavyanka has sung over 400 concerts. The group toured the Soviet Union in 1986, 1989, and 1999, and returned for a tour of Russia in 2016 [3] [7] . In 1986, they were the first American chorus to perform in St. Petersburg's Glinka Capella [3] [8] . In 2016, they were the only American choir invited to perform at the 150th anniversary of Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory [8] . In 1986 and 1990, Slavyanka was chosen to perform at the Western Regional Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association [9] . The group performed for Mikhail Gorbachev when he visited San Francisco in 1990 [10] .

Notable performances of historic works by the group include Sergei Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil, the Western premiere of Aleksei Shipovalnikov's Vespers, and the US premiere of Konstantin Shvedov's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, recovered from secreted Soviet negatives [8] [11] [12] .

Slavyanka's performed languages have included Russian, Ukrainian, Old Slavonic, Armenian, Croatian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Slovene, Georgian, and Svan [13] [14] . Some of their repertoire incorporates Tuvan throat singing [15] .

Recordings

Slavyanka has recorded 10 albums:

In addition, Slavyanka's music has been featured in the films Tell Me a Riddle (1980), Little Odessa (1994), and What Dreams May Come (1998) [15] [6] .

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Shaw (conductor)</span> American conductor

Robert Lawson Shaw was an American conductor most famous for his work with his namesake Chorale, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He was known for drawing public attention to choral music through his wide-ranging influence and mentoring of younger conductors, the high standard of his recordings, his support for racial integration in his choruses, and his support for modern music, winning many awards throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easter Vigil</span> Liturgy held in Christian churches

The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a liturgy held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this liturgy that people are baptized and that adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Church. It is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day – most commonly in the evening of Holy Saturday or midnight – and is the first celebration of Easter, days traditionally being considered to begin at sunset.

The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982. In its inaugural performance 14 choruses performed together in September 1982 in San Francisco as part of the first Gay Games. It aims to foster artistic and organizational development within its member choruses. The association includes almost 10,000 vocalists in over 100 associated choruses singing as male, female and mixed ensembles in a wide variety of styles. GALA Choruses produces a large festival every four years, in addition to a number of smaller annual workshops and conferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Russian Chorus</span> Musical artist

The Yale Russian Chorus is a tenor-bass choral ensemble at Yale University, established in 1953 by Denis Mickiewicz, a student at the Yale Music School, and George Litton, president of the Yale Russian Club. The group sings a variety of secular and sacred Slavic choral pieces, from the 12th century onward, including folk songs of Russia and Eastern Europe. The current musical director is Gabriel Mesa.

Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov was an Imperial Russian and Soviet composer, choral conductor and teacher. He composed over five hundred choral works, over four hundred of which are sacred. Today, he is most known for his piece Salvation is Created as well as works such as Do Not Reject Me in Old Age and movements from various settings of the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemy Vedel</span> Ukrainian composer (1767–1808)

Artemy Lukyanovich Vedel, born Artemy Lukyanovich Vedelsky, was a Ukrainian-born Russian composer of military and liturgical music. He produced works based on Ukrainian folk melodies, and made an important contribution in the music history of Ukraine. Together with Maxim Berezovsky and Dmitry Bortniansky, Vedel is recognised by musicologists as one of the "Golden Three" composers of 18th century Ukrainian classical music, and one of Russia's greatest choral composers.

Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op. 31, is a 1910 musical work by Sergei Rachmaninoff, one of his two major unaccompanied choral works. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the primary worship service of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

<i>All-Night Vigil</i> (Rachmaninoff) 1915 a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff

The All-Night Vigil is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff, his Op. 37, premiered on 23 March 1915 in Moscow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Boys Chorus</span> Boys choir

The San Francisco Boys Chorus (SFBC) is a choir for boys consisting of 230 members based in San Francisco with additional campuses in Oakland, San Mateo, and San Rafael. It is known officially as "San Francisco's Singing Ambassadors to the World".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus</span> Worlds first openly gay mens chorus, credited with creating the LGBT choral movement

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus (SFGMC) is the world's first openly gay chorus, one of the world's largest male choruses and the group most often credited with creating the LGBT choral movement.

The Kansas City Chorale is a professional 27-voice chorus conducted by Charles Bruffy. They perform a four concert series in Kansas City, tour nationwide, and perform with their sister choir, the Phoenix Chorale, also conducted by Mr. Bruffy. During his tenure as conductor, the chorus has achieved international acclaim. Mr. Bruffy, renowned for his fresh interpretations of both traditional and new music, was noted by The New York Times as a disciple of the late Robert Shaw.

The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is an a cappella choral composition by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, his Op. 41, composed in 1878. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the most celebrated of the eucharistic services of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Tchaikovsky's setting constitutes the first "unified musical cycle" of the liturgy.

The Ragazzi Boys Chorus is a boy's and young men's chorus in the San Francisco Bay Area. The chorus was formed in 1987 with six boys, and it now includes more than 250 singers from 100 schools, including the counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. The chorus participated in the San Francisco Symphony's recording of Perséphone, which was included in the Symphony's album that won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Album in 2000.[1]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masterworks Chorale</span> Choral ensemble based in San Mateo, California

Masterworks Chorale is a choral ensemble based in San Mateo, California.

Steven Fox is a Grammy-nominated American conductor of classical music. He is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of New York's Clarion Choir & Clarion Orchestra, Music Director of Cathedral Choral Society at Washington National Cathedral and founder of Musica Antiqua St. Petersburg in Russia. Fox has played a significant role in the rediscovery and performance of important Russian works from the 18th, 19th, and early-20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate Men's Chorus</span> American Mens choir

Golden Gate Men's Chorus (GGMC) is a gay men's chorus founded in 1982 and located in San Francisco. The GGMC is a group of 50 ethnically and socially diverse gay and gay-supportive men. The GGMC presents spring, summer, and winter programs annually, in addition to numerous guest and community benefit performances throughout the year.

The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the musical setting of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom by Mykola Leontovych. Consistent with Orthodox tradition, in which service is sung exclusively a cappella, the piece is set for unaccompanied choir and soloist. It was first performed in the Mykolaiv Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra on May 22, 1919, with Leontovych himself conducting.

The All-Night Vigil for choir, Op. 52, is an a cappella choral composition by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, written from 1881 to 1882. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox all-night vigil ceremony.

Alexander Levine, is a Russian-born British composer. He writes choral, chamber and orchestral music, publishing through Edition Peters.

Kurt Lawrence Sander is an American composer of choral and instrumental works.

References

  1. ↑ "Sing(ing) with Slavyanka Chorus". Slavyanka Homepage. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Bosworth, Sheila (15 September 2015). "Slavyanka Chorus: 'Russia's Choral Treasures', October 4 at 2 PM in Wellesley". Patch Media. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Russian Choral Group Slavyanka Performs ALL-NIGHT VIGIL Tonight". Broadway World. No. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Board". Slavyanka Homepage. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Our Beginning 1979 to 1993". Slavyanka Homepage.
  6. 1 2 "Famed Russian-Style men's chorus comes to the coast". Independent Coast Observer. 30 July 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "Interview with Irina Shachneva". 360° Дубна.
  8. 1 2 3 "Mission Santa Clara Features Konstantin Shvedov's Liturgy". The Silicon Valley Voice. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  9. ↑ Ahlgren, Calvin (20 January 1991). "Slavyanka Carries Russian Sound Home". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ↑ Shanahan, Michael. "Gorbachev calls for new alliances". The Sacramento Bee. No. 5 June 1990. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  11. ↑ Kosman, Joshua (18 May 2023). "An unknown Russian choral work emerges from the shadows after 100 years". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Russian Men's Chorus comes to the coast". Independent Coast Observer. 26 July 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  13. ↑ Bartlett, Jean (28 January 2009). "Choral masterpieces from Russia with love". Pacifica Tribune. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Lorenz-Fife, Iris (31 July 1998). "Russian chorus gives mesmerizing performance". Independent Coast Observer. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  15. 1 2 Parker, Brent (25 January 2007). "From Russia with love". The Tribune. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.