Événement

Alexander Gretchaninoff: An Afternoon of Choral Works

The Russian Orthodox Synodal Cathedral Choir under the direction of Peter Fekula, the Cathedral's musical director, will perform a concert of sacred and secular choral pieces by the renowned Russian composer Alexander Gretchaninoff (1864-1956) in honor of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth.

The concert will take place at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest at 5th Avenue and 90th St. in New York City at 3pm.

Alexander Tikhonovich Gretchaninoff (b. 13 October, 1864, Moscow; d. 4 January, 1956, New York) studied composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1925, Gretchaninoff emigrated to Paris, and then to New York in 1939. Gretchaninoff composed several operas, symphonic and chamber music, as well as numerous solo songs, children's songs and choruses, choral part songs and folk songs. He also composed four settings of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, an All-Night Vigil, a cycle of hymns from Passion Week, as well as approximately 20 shorter works. He also composed several settings of the Latin Mass and several Latin motets.

His choral music is renowned for its inventiveness, sonority, and profound spirituality.

The Synodal Cathedral Choir of New York is dedicated to outstanding traditional performance of Russian Orthodox liturgical music. Organized in 1952 by conductor and composer Boris Ledkovsky (1894-1975), the choir strives to promote a historical repertory that features the best examples of one of the richest choral traditions in the world. For more than a half-century, the choir's activity has centered on regular services at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign, the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in New York City. In addition, the choir has undertaken projects, including historic divine services on special occasions, numerous concerts and several recordings.

Peter Fekula has directed choirs for over 30 years and has been music director of the Synodal Cathedral since 2005. He obtained his musical training at the Mannes School in New York and at Harvard University where he studied choral performance and early music with Jameson Marvin. He is a member of the Liturgical Music Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.