First Part of «Choral Union: Russia-Belarus» Tour Concludes in Grodno

Educational concerts and masterclasses, organized by the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music and the Belarusian State Academy of Music, took place in three Belarusian cities: Minsk, Brest, and Grodno. The musical programs were presented by the Gnesin Ensemble of Modern Choral Music «Altro coro» and the Student Choir of the Belarusian State Academy of Music, conducted by renowned choral directors from the Union State. The tour was supported by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

The grand opening concert was held at the All Saints Memorial Church in Minsk. The choirs performed masterpieces by Russian and Belarusian composers, including sacred and folk music. The combined ensemble presented «O Tebe raduetsya» by Juliania Denisova (cond. Semen Klimanov), «Tebe neoborimuyu stenu» from «Vo dni brani» by Pavel Chesnokov and «Da voskresnet Bog» (№ 34) by Dmitry Bortnyansky

On April 2nd at the Garrison Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderer in the Brest Fortress, the choirs participated in a prayer service marking the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus. After that, participants of ceremony, including Alexander Ryzhinskii, Rector of the Gnesin Academy and Elena Kurakina, Rector of the Belarusian State Academy of Music

laid flowers at the Eternal Flame in the Hero Fortress Brest Memorial Complex.

The evening concert was held at the Brest State Musical College.Culmination of program was «Bogoroditse Devo, raduysya» from Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil and a repeat performance of Bortnyansky’s Concerto № 34

The final concert took place at the Grodno State Musical College on April 4th. The first half was performed by the Belarusian choir (cond. Inessa Bodyako); second half — by Altro coro (cond. Alexandr Ryzhinskii)

The combined choir performed «Skaz o dushe» by Natalia Bogodaeva, «Devushka pela v tserkovnom khore» by Andrey Savritsky (text by Alexander Blok), «Pesnya» by Vadim Salmanov (text by Yanka Kupala), «Bogoroditse Devo, raduysya» (Rachmaninoff)

This fall, the tour will continue with educational concerts in Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow, alongside masterclasses led by distinguished conductors, including: Inessa Bodyako (Belarusian State Academy of Music), Semen Klimanov (Belarusian State Academy of Music), Andrey Savritsky (Academic Choir of Belarusian TV and Radio), Alexander Ryzhinskii (Gnesin Academy), Alexander Zanorin (Saratov Conservatory), Ivan Stolnnikov (Nizhny Novgorod Municipal Chamber Choir)

Photos by Anna Bobrik