HISTORY OF CHOIR

The choir was founded in 1955 by a well-known musician and teacher professor Yuri Slavnitsky. The choir has an interesting biography. The choir performs both on the radio and television, which is its primary work, and gives a lot of concerts. In St.Petersburg the choir performs with solo concerts in the best concert halls of the city, such as The Philharmonic, The Academic Capella Hall, The Smolny cathedral, The Big Concert Hall "Oktiabrsky" and others.

The Children's Choir always takes parts in musical festivals taking place in St.Petersburg, such as the annual Children's Musical Festival, "Easter Festival" and "The Musical Spring of St.Petersburg".

The Choir collaborates with symphonic orchestras of St.Petersburg as well as with The Russian Folk Orchestra named after V.Andreev. In the course of these years the young singers have performed with such famous conductors as Evgeny Mravinsky, Georg Solti, Arvid and Maris Yansons, Alexander Dmitriev, Valery Gergiev, Ravil Martynov. With the Orchestra of the Philharmonic Society they have performed the opera "Salambo" by M.Mousorgsky, the cantata "Carmina Burana" by Karl Orff, the 8th symphony be G. Mahler. The scenes from "Faust" by R. Strauss and cantata "Ave Christe" by a Norwegian composer K. Nystedt were performed in Russia for the first time. On 11th May 1995 in the Big hall of the Philharmonic the "War Requiem" by B.Britten was performed by an international group of musicians under the guidance of a British conductor Sian Edwards. The Russian part was The Symphonic orchestra of the Philharmonic Society and the Children's Choir of TV and radio of St.Petersburg. This performance was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the victory in the World War II. In 1995-1996 the Choir performed The Mass d-moll by the German composer P.Cornelius.

The young singers continuously take part in the operas "Boris Godunov" by M.Mousorgsky and "The Queen of Spades" by P. Tchaikovsky, as well as in the "Nutcracker" ballet by P.Tchaikovsky in the Opera and Ballet Theatre named after M.Mousorgsky.

In its long history the Choir has toured a lot in the cities of the former USSR. In recent years the audiences in Chekhia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Germany, Danmark, Switzerland, Finland and other countries have had the opportunity to listen to the Choir. In 1990 there was a successful tour in the USA and in 1991, 1994, 1997 - in Japan.

The formation of the repertoire has always developed in three main directions: the classical music of the Western-European and Russian composers, Russian folklore and songs of the peoples of the world, and the works of contemporary composers, especially of those from St.Petersburg. Today the repertoire comprises more than a hundred works in various genres. Russian music is represented by choral pieces by composers known all over the world, such as: M.Glinka, P.Tchaikovsky, S.Rakhmaninov, A.Gretchaninov, P.Tchesnokov and others. The European music is represented by the composers of different schools: O.Lasso, G.Palestrina, J.S.Bach, W.A Mozart, J.Brahms, F.Poulenc, B.Britten. Among contemporary composers are the world-famous D.Shostakovitch, S.Prokopfiev, and V.Gavrilin, masters of choral music V.Salmanov, S.Banevitch, A.Knaifel, and also some talented composers from St.Petersburg D.Smirnov, L.Rezetdinov, A.Smelkov. Contemporary European music includes works by G.Gershwin, K.Nystedt, V.Kerster, G.Nuits, J.Busto, A.Wissink and others. Russian folk music is usually performed as interesting and original arrangements, which can be both strictly choral vocal arrangements and the ones with Russian folk instruments - balalaika and various percussions. Some folk songs are performed as drama scenes with the elements of choreography.

Since 1994 the Choir has released four CD of Russian and foreign classics and folk songs.

The Choir consists of three groups: junior, middle and senior according to the age of the singers. There are about 300 girls and boys in the choir. The concert group consists of about a hundred children from 11 to 19.

The Chief Conductor and the artistic director of the Choir Stanislav Gribkov graduated from the Choral College named after Glinka (The former Singing capella of the Royal Court) and from the St.Petersburg (Leningrad) Conservatoire named after Rimsky-Korsakov. Stanislav Gribkov has been working with the Choir since 1968 as a chorus master and since 1988 as the Chief Conductor and the Artistic Director. He teaches conducting at St.Ptersburg University of culture. He is the author of numerous arrangements for the choir which are being used by many choirs of Russia. In 1997 S.Gribkov was awarded the title "Honoured Man of Arts of Russia" and a professor's degree.

1. 2005 - Second place in choral competition in Montreux, Switzerland;
              First prize in categorie Youth Choirs and Second prize in categorie Female Choirs in The HARMONIE FESTIVAL (Lindenholzhausen, Germany)
2. 2003 - XXI International Choir Festival in Cantonigros (Spain). First prize: Female Choirs; Second prize: Children's Choir
3. 2002 - International Choral Festival (Montreux): Prix du jury, Prix du public and Prix de la Fondation du Montreux Choral Festival (choix du programme)
4. 2001 - Special prize "Honourable mention for balance and blend" on competition in Arnheim (Holland)
5. 1999 - IX International Choir Festival in Cantonigros (Spain). First prize: Children's Choir; Second prize: as Folklore group; Third prize: as Women's Choir.
6. 1999 - Grand-prix in choral competition in Montreux, Switzerland
7. 1999 - Grand-prix, first prize in "Women's choirs competition", second prize in "Church Music Competition" in Darmstadt, Germany
8. 1998 - special prize in habaneras competition in Torrevieja, Spain
9. 1996 - Second prize award in choral competition in Montreux, Switzerland
10. 1996 - First prize in "Youth Choirs Competition" at the musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Great Britain
11. 1994 - Silver medal in choral competition in Athens, Greece
12. 1993 - Grand-prix in choral competition in Montreux, Switzerland
13. 1993 - Diploma of participant in the final competition Nantes, France
14. 1992 - "Summa cum laude" (Grand-prix) Neerpelt, Belgium
15. 1991 - Diploma of participant in the final competition Nantes, France
16. 1990 - "Summa cum laude" (Grand-prix) Neerpelt, Belgium