Yurlov Russian State Academic Choir
is one of the oldest art groups in Moscow. Its history dated back to the heyday of Russian art of the early XX century what were the times of birth of such famous creative associations like the Moscow Art Theater, the Pyatnitsky Russian Folk Choir. In pre-revolutionary years the choir has achieved a high level of skill under the leadership of the first director regent Ivan Yukhov by singing sacred music, folk songs, works of Russian and Western European composers. Yukhov choir popularity was continuing to grow after the 1917 revolution and that time the nationalized group was not only leading an active concert activity, but also was taking part in important cultural projects of the young Soviet State including the scoring of the famous movies such as “Jovial Guys”, “Circus”, “We are from Kronshtadt”, “Volga-Volga”.
The life-changing event in the history of the group became the appointment of Alexander Yurlov (1927-1973) as the director. In the 1960s the choir led by the outstanding choirmaster was put forward to the group of the best musical groups of the country. The choir was the first performer of the works of B. Rubin, R. Shchedrin and many years it was working in cooperation with the famous Russian composers G.V. Sviridov and D.D. Shostakovich. Alexander Yurlov was credited with the revival of the unique tradition of Russian sacred music concert performance which in Soviet times was under the strict prohibition.
Alexander Yurlov’s successors were Yuri Ukhov and Stanislav Gusev who were talented musicians, conductors-choirmasters and have much done for multiplying the glory of the choir.
Since 2004 the choir has been led by Gennady Dmitryak who is the honored Artist of Russia, professor, one of the leading Russian choral, opera and symphony conductor. Gennady Dmitryak is a musician of a great creative energy, deeply and sincerely devoted to the development of Russian vocal and choral art, he has achieved qualitative growth of choir excellence, expanded the scope of its concert and educational activities, initiated important cultural projects. Under his guidance during the second year the choir has arranged a music festival «Lubov Svyataya,» which revives the traditions of vocal-symphonic compositions performances by involving consolidated choral groups. The contribution of the conductor to the development of national culture and the famous Russian group was awarded with the 2010 Second Class order “For Great Services to The Country” as well as with the highest award of the Russian Orthodox Church — Saint Lord and Master Knyaz Daniil Moscovsky Order.
Today the geography of choir’s tours covers the entire territory of Russia from Kaliningrad to Magadan and covers the cities of the Golden Ring, the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia. The recent concerts of the choir led by Gennady Dmitryak have had a huge success in Poland, North Korea, Spain, Greece, England, Belarus, Armenia, the Baltic countries and Ukraine. The choir is a constant participant of the Moscow Easter Festival, the Festival RNO, International festivals in Spain, Greece, Poland, Lithuania, and others.
No significant event in the musical life of Moscow is provided without the participation of the choir. Among the symphony conductors working with the choir there are Yuri Bashmet, Valery Gergiev, K. Zanderling, P. Kogan, T. Curentzis, M. Pletnev, S. Skripka, A. Sladkovsky, D. Jurowski.
The group feels free by performing choral miniatures and detailed opera scenes, folk songs (in classical and modern arrangements) and the compositions of sacred music. The group has been known as one of the best interpreters of works of D. Bortnyansky M. Berezovsky, A. Kastalsky, A. Grechaninov, P. Chesnokov, S. Rakhmaninov. The choir’s repertoire includes nearly all compositions of cantata-oratorio genre of Russian and Western European music — from High Mass of I. S. Bach to the works of B. Britten, L. Bernstein, A. Schnittke, G. Kancheli, Gr. Tavener. The choir revives the image of unity in the Russian choral art and easily combines powerful and timbre rich flavor with intonational plasticity and virtuoso motion of sounding
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