State Academic Symphony Chapel of Russia. State Academic Chapel named after. Glinka State Academic Chapel Moika embankment 20
State Academic Symphony Chapel of Russia– a unique group of over 200 artists. It unites a choir, an orchestra and solo vocalists, who, existing in organic unity, at the same time retain a certain creative independence.
The State Capella was formed in 1991 with the merger of the USSR State Chamber Choir under the direction of Valery Polyansky and the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture, headed by Gennady Rozhdestvensky.
Both teams have gone through a glorious creative path. The orchestra was founded in 1957 and until 1982 was the orchestra of the All-Union Radio and Television, and since 1982 - the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR Ministry of Culture. At different times it was led by S. Samosud, Y. Aranovich and M. Shostakovich. The chamber choir was created by V. Polyansky in 1971. Since 1980, the group received a new status and became known as the State Chamber Choir of the USSR Ministry of Culture.
With the choir, Valery Polyansky traveled to all the republics of the USSR, initiated a festival in Polotsk, in which Irina Arkhipova, Oleg Yanchenko, and the Ensemble of Soloists of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR took part... In 1986, at the invitation of Svyatoslav Richter, Valery Polyansky and his choir presented a program of works by P. I. Tchaikovsky at the “December Evenings” festival, and in 1994 - “All-Night Vigil” by S. V. Rachmaninov. At the same time, the State Chamber Choir made a name for itself abroad, triumphantly performing with Valery Polyansky at the festivals “Singing Wroclaw” (Poland), in Merano and Spoleto (Italy), Izmir (Turkey), in Naarden (Holland); Memorable participation in the famous “Promenade concerts” at the Royal Albert Hall (Great Britain), performances in historical cathedrals in France - in Bordeaux, Amiens, Albi.
The State Skapella’s birthday is December 27, 1991: then Antonin Dvorak’s cantata “Wedding Shirts” was performed in the Great Hall of the Conservatory under the baton of Gennady Rozhdestvensky. In 1992, Valery Polyansky became the artistic director and chief conductor of the State Concert Hall of Russia. The activities of the choir and orchestra of the Capella are carried out both in joint performances and in parallel. The ensemble and its chief conductor are welcome guests at the best venues in Moscow, regular members of the Moscow Philharmonic, the Moscow Conservatory and the Moscow International House of Music, and have performed with the finalists of the international Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov competitions. The choir triumphantly toured the USA, England, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the countries of Southeast Asia.
The basis of the ensemble's repertoire consists of cantata-oratorio genres: masses, oratorios, requiems of all eras and styles - Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Berlioz, Liszt, Verdi, Dvorak, Rachmaninoff, Reger, Stravinsky, Britten, Shostakovich, Schnittke, Eshpai . Valery Polyansky constantly conducts monographic symphonic cycles dedicated to Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Mahler and other great composers.
Many Russian and foreign performers collaborate with the Capella. The team has a particularly close and long-term creative friendship with Gennady Nikolaevich Rozhdestvensky, who annually presents his personal philharmonic subscription with the State Capella of Russia.
In recent years, the team has developed its own scheme for organizing the season. Its extremes are dedicated to performances in small towns. Since 2009, the Capella has been holding the September Evenings festival in Tarusa (together with the Svyatoslav Richter Foundation), introducing masterpieces of symphonic and choral music to residents of Torzhok, Tver, and Kaluga. In 2011, Yelets was added, where the world premiere of Alexander Tchaikovsky’s opera “The Legend of the City of Yelets, the Virgin Mary and Tamerlane” staged by director Georgy Isaakyan was triumphantly held. “You don’t need a lot of words about patriotism,” V. Polyansky formulated his position, “young people just need to hear this music, which inspires love for the homeland. It is a crime that there are cities where people have never heard a live symphony orchestra or seen an opera performance. We are trying to correct this injustice."
The repertoire policy of the State Chapel also reflects the most important dates in world history. To mark the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, a concert performance of Prokofiev’s opera “War and Peace” took place (in Torzhok and Kaluga); the world premiere of the oratorio “The Sovereign’s Affair” by A. Tchaikovsky was timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty (2013, Lipetsk, Moscow), and on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia M. Glinka’s “Life for the Tsar” was performed.
A landmark event of 2014 was the State Skapella’s concert performance of Prokofiev’s rarely heard opera Semyon Kotko, which took place on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater and at the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army and was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. At the same venues, the collective celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory with a performance of K. Molchanov’s opera “And the Dawns Here Are Quiet.”
The State Capella's touring activities are intensive. The orchestra's superior performance was applauded by the British public during the 2014 autumn tour. “There are conductors who consider Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony too famous and perform it as if on autopilot, but Polyansky and his orchestra were simply magnificent. Tchaikovsky's music, of course, became part of the flesh and blood of this group; Polyansky played this immortal masterpiece the way I’m sure Tchaikovsky himself would have wanted to hear it,” noted British critic and composer Robert Matthew-Walker.
In 2015, the group’s concerts were triumphantly held in the USA, Belarus (festival of sacred music “Mogutny Bozha”) and Japan, where the public appreciated V. Polyansky’s interpretations of Tchaikovsky’s last three symphonies.
State Academic Chapel in St. Petersburg – oldest musical institution, which through its activities largely determined the growth and development of musical culture. It includes a professional choir, which was established in Moscow in the 15th century, symphony orchestra And concert hall. Exactly different musical trends appeared and developed here.
Story
History of the Chapel has been going on for more than a century, and began during the reign of Ivan III. Since then, the Chapel has developed and a lot has changed. But first things first.
From the foundation to the October Revolution
The chapel appeared in XV century in Moscow, When Grand Duke Ivan III created the choir of the Sovereign's singing clerks.
On August 12, 1479, they took a direct part in the consecration of the Assumption Cathedral, and since then this day has been considered the date of the foundation of the Chapel
From the very beginning, singers were constantly with the king. They not only participated in divine services and sacraments, but also sang at dinners, and also accompanied the sovereigns on all trips, including during military activities. A little later, not only adult men, but also boys began to be hired as singers.. Being a singer was highly valued in those days, and one of the reasons for this was learning to read and write.
The first Russian singing school was founded by singers Fyodor Krestyanin and Ivan Nos, brought by Ivan the Terrible.. The singers not only performed, but also created musical works.
The history of the St. Petersburg singing choir begins in 1703. Soon after Peter I came to power, he ordered the choir of the Sovereign Singing Deacons to be renamed the Court Choir
Now the singers accompanied the king all the time in all his movements and military campaigns. Peter I took good care of his singers, and also periodically performed something with them himself. And when mass celebrations took place in 1703 on the occasion of the emergence of the new capital, singers took direct part in them.
The next stage in the development of the Court Choir was already under Empress Anna Ioannovna. It was she who opened the first special school in 1738, and 2 years later singers began to learn to play orchestral instruments
Since then, the Court Choir has become the main musical choir of the city., who took part in all events held in the capital. And from the 30s of the 18th century, they also began to attract him for performances at the Court Theater. Exactly thanks to the choir, the best singers and soloists of that time appeared.
In 1763, Catherine II renamed the Court Choir into the Imperial Court Choir, whose director was Mark Poltoratsky. It was the Capella that was the basis of the musical life of Russia
She trained many famous musicians. The names of such famous musical figures as Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka, Lomakin and many others are associated with it.
The Italian Baltazar Galuppi led the Chapel for quite a long period of time., and with him his compatriot Domenico Cimarosa. It was they who once taught D.S. Bortyansky, Giuseppe Sarti, Tommaso Traetta and Giovanni Paisiello. Thanks to their efforts and efforts, Russian musicians mastered real international mastery.
In 1796, its former student D. S. Bortnyansky became the director of the Chapel. He was very sincerely concerned about the Imperial Chapel and its students. Dmitry Stepanovich tried to achieve perfect performance, even composing works for the choir himself, and, as a result, the performers became famous even outside the country. It was at the behest of Dmitry Stepanovich that in 1808 a plot was purchased with two houses, a garden and a courtyard located on it, where the modern Chapel is located. Thanks to the existence of the Imperial Chapel in Russia, they were able to get acquainted with foreign classics known throughout the world: Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Haydn and others.
The next head of the Chapel was F. P. Lvov, who continued the traditions established by D. S. Bortyansky. After him, the position of director went to his son Alexei Fedorovich, the author of the anthem God Save the Tsar, Major General and Privy Councilor, who turned out to be an excellent leader of the musical choir.
In 1837, Glinka was appointed bandmaster. Emperor Nicholas I personally asked him about this. Glinka approached his position very responsibly and personally selected new singers and supervised their training.
In 1846, the Chapel began training leaders of church choirs., and after 12 years, the work of orchestral classes was finally fully established. This had a positive impact on the development of the choir and the training of its students. When young people reached the age of voice change, they were simply transferred to those classes where vocal ability was not required.
In 1861, N.I. Bakhmetov took over the post of head of the Court Choir.
The final formation of the Court Choir was completed on July 16, 1882, when Emperor Alexander III approved its staff. Now the Court Singing Chapel included a symphony orchestra, choir, music and theater schools, regency and instrumental classes
The next important period in the development of the Court Chapel occurred at the time when it was led by M. A. Balakirev and N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. It was Nikolai Andreevich who taught in music classes, and did it so well and selflessly that he graduated only the best students, who later became the main musicians of the orchestra. Soon, graduates of the Capella School began to be issued documents confirming their receipt of musical education.
Everyone who participated in the formation of the Court Singing Chapel, starting from its very foundation, made a huge contribution to the development of the musical art of Russia. A music center that had no analogues throughout the world was created, where the education of future artists was perfectly combined with concert and performing activities. It was from here that the best students graduated who became famous musicians.
Chapel from the twentieth century to the present day
The 20th century was a difficult time for the Chapel. After the revolution it was partially disbanded: the regency classes and the gentry corps were closed, and then the choir school and symphony orchestra were dissolved. However, the choir and orchestra continued their performances, but in simple places: at work, student and club venues.
In 1918, the Capella became the Petrograd People's Choral Academy, and 3 years later the Petrograd State Philharmonic was made from the choir and orchestra of the former Court Chapel. In the spring of 1920, the former Chapel underwent a new transformation: if previously there were only boys and men in the choir, then Now women's voices have also been added. In 1922, the choir was separated into a separate group, calling it the Academic Chapel. It consisted of a choir technical school and school, as well as the choir itself. Soon they began to accept girls as well..
The greatest rise of the Chapel in the first half of the twentieth century is associated with the leadership of two outstanding people - P. A. Bogdanov and M. G. Klimov. Pallady Andreevich was able to maintain the school even during the Great Patriotic War, and Mikhail Georgievich was able to educate the best choir
In 1928, the Kapella, led by Klimov, went on its first tour of Western Europe. Everything went more than well - success awaited the Russian musicians.
During the war, the Chapel was evacuated to the Kirov region, and some of its artists went to the front. At that time, the chief conductor was E. P. Kudryavtseva, and precisely with her musicians performed in hospitals and military units and various concert halls, maintaining the patriotic spirit.
In the second half of 1943, G. A. Dmitrevsky came to the leadership, who was able to revive the Chapel after the war, making a huge contribution to the development and establishment of musical and educational activities. At the end of 1944, the Capella returned to native Leningrad, and already in 1945 its operation resumed in double volume.
In 1954, the Chapel and the school attached to it were named in honor of M. I. Glinka. This event was timed to coincide with the composer’s 150th birthday. Unfortunately, Over the next 20 years, the activities of the Chapel decreased, if not completely stopped.. Frequent changes of leadership and singers, problems and misunderstandings in the group, lack of new works - all this affected the overall sound of the choir.
But in 1974, a former student of V. A. Chernushenko came to lead the Capella and with incredible efforts revived past traditions
It was thanks to Vladislav Alexandrovich that music was returned that had been banned in the country for a long time: Tchaikovsky, Chesnokov, Berezovsky and many others.
Under V. A. Chernushenko, the repertoire of performed works is expanding again. Not only classics are taken, but also works by contemporary authors.
On November 1, 1991, the Symphony Orchestra was again created, which received recognition throughout the world
Exactly the choir and symphony orchestra are currently touring different countries and are rightfully recognized as one of the best musical groups in the world.
Activity
Today, the State Academic Chapel is the oldest Russian professional musical institution, engaged in the formation and development of Russian musical culture. By studying the history of the Capella, you can trace how classical music developed in the country and beyond.
For a long time, the Capella was the most important source of musical education in Russia. Through its activities, it influenced the development of Russian singing and musical art; a huge number of famous musical figures emerged from its walls.
The Capella's repertoire is mainly represented by international symphonic classics. During its existence, a huge number of famous musical groups performed on its stage with works of world classics, as well as with completely new, but truly chic works of modern authors.
Today the State Academic Capella conducts active concert activities. Its representatives tour with great success throughout the country, as well as abroad, and perform at international festivals.
Foreign media speak with delight of the talent and technique of the artists of the Russian Capella. And in 2001, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy III invited the Singing Chapel to take part in a charity concert at the Bolshoi Theater called Shrines of Russia.
Artists
Now The Singing Chapel consists of 70 artists, of which 34 are female voices and 36 are male.
- Soprano – 17 people. Including Galina Gordeeva and Elena Yaskunova - Honored Artists of Russia and Ekaterina Zavatskaya - laureate of an international competition
- Mezzo-soprano – 17 people. Including Daria Leibova - Honored Artist of Russia and laureates of international competitions Larisa Bashkatova and Lyudmila Sidenko
- Tenor – 15 people. Including the laureate of the international competition Oleg Trofimov
- Bass – 21 people. Including Honored Artists of Russia Migunov Petr and Miller Vladimir
The choir inspector is Nikita Andreev. You can see the full list of artists on the official website in the appropriate section
The Symphony Orchestra consists of 54 artists.
- First violins – 16 people. Including laureates of international competitions Andreev Nikolay, Zavatsky Ilya, Klevtsova Evgenia and Norkina Evgenia. The concertmaster of the orchestra is Vladimir Pogoretsky
- Second violins – 14 people. Including laureates of international competitions Anna Avgustinovich and Alexandra Kashina. The concertmaster of the orchestra is Anna Avgustinovich
- Violas – 12 people. Including laureates of international competitions Andreeva Milana and Slabikova Ekaterina. The concertmaster of the orchestra is Andreeva Milana.
- Cellos – 12 people. Including Honored Artist of Russia Vadim Messerman. He is also the concertmaster of the orchestra.
Halls
The State Academic Chapel has 2 concert halls.
Concert hall
The main room of the Chapel is the Concert Hall.
It was designed by the architect Benoit in 1889 during the redevelopment of the building
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In the central part of the stage, a place was prepared for the organ, which was brought and installed only in the 30s of the twentieth century from a church in Holland. It is he who is now the real pride of the Chapel.
The decor of the hall in the form of stucco was made by I. P. Dylev
In 2005, the Concert Hall was restored. The masters did their best: Absolutely everything was restored - stucco, gilding, decor and furniture. And so The grand opening took place on October 1, in which the Chapel Choir, Orchestra and Boys' Choir took part.
Chamber hall
Another hall of the State Academic Chapel is the Chamber Hall. It is much smaller than the Concert Hall - only 80 seats, but plays an equally important role in the life of the Chapel. It was first opened in 2008. In 2011, it underwent major renovations and was opened with a festive concert in November.
Thanks to his appearance, there was an excellent opportunity to expand the repertoire of the Capella. Leading soloists of the Choir, Symphony and Chamber orchestras, experimental concerts and performances by young and talented musicians perform here.
It is in the Chamber Hall that you can listen to jazz and folk music, as well as attend literary evenings and various events, including various kinds of conferences
Educational classical music concerts for children are also held here.
Festivals
Festivals are held in the Chapel on a regular basis.
One of the most popular is called Musical Olympus
As a rule, he held in May or June at the best venues in the city. Only the very best are allowed to participate - laureates of the largest international competitions, which is why getting into it is so valuable for lovers of classical music. Also The Capella team takes part in various festivals, including international ones.
Concerts
The State Academic Chapel hosts concerts where the following performers:
- soloists
- Choir and Symphony Orchestra of the Chapel itself
- invited musicians from different cities and countries of world renown
Performing in this place is a real honor for everyone. Reporting concerts of students of musical educational institutions can also take place here.
The Capella's repertoire mainly consists of works of classical music known throughout the world. But there are also concerts based on contemporary works or specially dedicated to a specific date.
For example, on May 10 at 19:00 there was a concert organized by the House of Folk Art and Leisure entitled Let's bow to those great years.
Information about the date and time of a particular concert can be clarified on the website in the appropriate section
Exhibitions
In addition to musical events, Art exhibitions are held in the Capella galleries. The viewer may be presented works in the field of painting, graphics, sculpture and photography, united by any one topic.
Posters for such events are also posted on the Chapel’s website. in a special section
Excursions
Some travel companies offer to visit the State Academic Chapel as part of an excursion group.
Below are some of the options currently offered
Firm guide | Excursion time | Price | What's included in the price | Program |
Tour operator "Walks" | 2 hours | From 790 rubles | Excursion service Accompanying |
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To be specified when booking | To be specified when booking | To be specified when booking |
|
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Company "PiterGuideTour" | 3 – 5 hours | When recruiting a group of 18+1 – 1240 rubles. per child When recruiting a group of 30+2 – 1190 rubles. per child When recruiting a group of 45+2 – 1090 rubles. per child | Transport service Excursion service Entrance fees |
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Poster
You can find the poster of the State Academic Chapel on the website on the Chapel website
Name | Date |
Poems and songs of the war years | May 7 |
Peace Mass Armed Man | May 8 |
Let's bow to those great years | May 10 |
State Academic Orchestra named after Andreev | May 11, June 4 |
Guide to the Orchestra | May 12 |
Report concert | May 13 |
Royal Passion-Bearers | May 14 |
Lucky Pushkin | May 16 |
Night of Museums 2019 | May 18 |
The path to Parnassus. Teachers Concert | May 19 |
Young talents | May 19 |
Symphonic premieres | May 22 |
Organ evening. Alexander Fiseysky | May 23 |
Terem Quartet. Program On the Road | May 24 |
Orchestral laboratory. Closing concert of the festival | May 25 |
Glinka Choir School | May 28 |
The great classical romantic Felix Mendelssohn | May 28 |
23rd International Festival Musical Olympus | May 29 |
Concert of the cycle Towards the Tchaikovsky Competition | May 30 |
Daniil Granin: Evenings with Peter the Great | June 1 |
Competition for young musicians Nutcracker | June 2 |
Baroque music. Ensemble Vivamuse | June 5 |
Capella Symphony Orchestra | June 6 |
Shakespeare in music. A Midsummer Night's Dream | June 7 |
Celebrating Benny Goodman's 110th birthday | June 8 |
An evening of Brahms music. Double concerto and 3rd symphony | June 12 |
In memory of Ravil Martynov | June 13 |
Sergey Zykov. Solo concert with Russian orchestra | June 17 |
Keyboard Kings | June 27 |
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra | June 28 |
Russia - Korea. Friendship Concert | June 29 |
Tickets and passes in 2019
Tickets to the State Academic Chapel can be purchased:
Also, every year the Capella offers a subscription for the next season.
2019-2020 – anniversary season – 540 years since the founding of the Chapel
Viewers are offered 14 different passes. There are classic options including attending concerts of the Singing Chapel And Symphony Orchestra. You can also choose a subscription where Choir and Symphony Orchestra performing together. For lovers of musical and literary compositions there is special subscription Music and words.
Address
Moika River Embankment, 20
Metro
Nearest stations:
- "Admiralteyskaya"
- "Nevsky Prospekt"
- "Gostiny Dvor"
How to get there
The closest station is Admiralteyskaya - less than 1 kilometer:
- exit onto Nevsky Prospekt, cross the road, turn right and walk to Bolshaya Morskaya Street
- there turn left and go straight to Palace Square
- go around it on the right side to the nearest branch to the right
- turn there and go to the Moika River
- cross it along the Pevchesky Bridge - there is a Chapel
From the Nevsky Prospekt metro station to the Capella is about 1 kilometer:
- exit the metro, cross the Griboyedov Canal
- walk along the avenue to the Moika River
- there turn right and move along the water to the Pevchesky Bridge - the Chapel will be on the right
It’s a little longer to walk from the Gostiny Dvor metro station. You also need to go out onto Nevsky Prospekt, cross the road and walk along the prospectus towards the Kazan Cathedral. Further the path will be exactly the same as from the Nevsky Prospekt metro station.
Rules for visiting the Philharmonic
There are no special rules for visiting the Chapel. Everything is very standard:
- come early
- have a ticket with you
- do not enter the hall in outerwear
- You can't talk loudly during the concert
- You cannot use mobile phones
Everything else is at the discretion of the audience. There is no dress code here, and many visitors arrive in normal casual clothing.
The Bel Canto Foundation organizes concerts in Moscow, in which the Moscow State Chapel named after Vadim Sudakov participates. On this page you can see a poster of upcoming concerts in 2020 with the participation of the Moscow State Chapel named after Vadim Sudakov and buy a ticket for a date convenient for you.
Artistic director and chief conductor, Honored Artist of Russia, Winner of the Moscow Government Prize, Anatoly Sudakov.
The Moscow State Chapel was organized in 1991 by the outstanding Russian choral conductor V.A. Sudakov, who created more than one choral group during his creative career (Moscow Boys Choir (1957), Abkhazian Choir (1973), etc.)
The team revives the meaning of the concept of a chapel (which developed in the 18th century) as an ensemble uniting singers and instrumentalists. Hence the peculiarities of the artistic composition: two equal ensembles - a vocal ensemble, consisting of high-quality soloists, and a chamber-instrumental composition, which expands the repertoire capabilities of the group.
The choir collaborates with such famous performers as N. Babkina, I. Kobzon, S. Trofimov, A. Litvinenko, soloists of the Moscow Opera Houses A. Naumenko, V. Pochapsky, V. Ladyuk and famous Russian groups such as the Choir Chapel. A.A. Yurlova, State Academic Russian Choir named after A.V. Sveshnikov, Academic Big Choir “Masters of Choral Singing”, Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Soloists” conducted by Yuri Bashmet and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia conducted by V. Spivakov.
The team of the Moscow State Chapel takes part on an ongoing basis in significant productions of the Moscow Musical Theater. K. Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko (S. Prokofiev “War and Peace”, M. Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina” - director A. Titel; G. Verdi “Aida” - director P. Stein). The choir team has joint literary and musical projects with V. Barinov, V. Lanov at the concert venues of the galleries of Z. Tsereteli and I. Glazunov. The chapel performed a reference audio recording of the Moscow Anthem, which is now stored in the Museum of the capital.
Concerts of the Moscow State Chapel named after Vadim Sudakov, and its participation in opera performances outside the Russian Federation, are always a success with listeners. Over the past five years, the choir group has performed at leading concert venues in China, Qatar, and the Republic of Abkhazia. The Moscow State Chapel, under the direction of Anatoly Sudakov, takes part in a number of major projects in the city of Moscow: the series of International Contemporary Music Festivals “Moscow Autumn”, the annual Moscow Easter Festival under the direction of Valery Gergiev, the Moscow Music Festival “Light Bells”, the Music Festival of the Charitable Foundation named after. Meyerhold “How beautiful this world is!”, Folklore multimedia show “Trinity. Living History" in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
A special place in the activities of the Moscow State Chapel named after Vadim Sudakov is occupied by charity concerts for orphans, pensioners, and the disabled. One of the striking examples is the participation of the chapel in the festival for the disabled “The world has become more tempting and wider.” The chapel team, under the direction of Anatoly Vadimovich Sudakov, regularly takes an active part in city events on a free basis, such as “Night of the Arts”, “Night at the Museum”, in events celebrating City Day, Victory Day, Cultural Worker’s Day. Moscow State Chapel under the direction of A.V. Sudakova has repeatedly participated in festive and special events in Moscow on the stage of the Moscow International House of Music, the Concert Hall. P.I. Tchaikovsky, Great Hall of the Conservatory, State Museum of A.S. Pushkin, Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Concert Hall "Russia", Moscow Musical Theater named after. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, Russian Army Theater, Grand Concert Hall of the State Kremlin Palace, State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
The State Academic Chapel of St. Petersburg traces its history back to 1479, when, by decree of Grand Duke Ivan III, the Choir of the Sovereign Singing Deacons was established in Moscow, which became the first professional choir in Russia and the cradle of Russian choral art. Recent decades have been marked by a new upsurge in the performing and concert life of the Singing Chapel. In 1974, the outstanding Russian musician Vladislav Chernushenko became the artistic director and chief conductor of the Capella. From this time on, the revival of the historical traditions of the oldest choir in Russia began.
In 1974, Vladislav Chernushenko was appointed artistic director and chief conductor of the oldest musical and professional institution in Russia - the Leningrad State Academic Chapel. M.I. Glinka. In a short time, Vladislav Chernushenko revives this famous Russian singing ensemble, which was in a deep creative crisis, returning it to the ranks of the best choirs in the world.
The complex of buildings of the State Academic Chapel of St. Petersburg is one of the best creations of Russian architecture, an integral part of the Palace Square ensemble. The concert hall occupies a central place in the architectural ensemble of the Chapel. It was built by L.N. Benoit in 1889. Undoubtedly, the hall became one of the architect’s main successes, not only in terms of its external decoration. The Chapel Hall has a reputation for being excellent, and according to some reviews, ideal acoustically. In 2005, a major renovation and comprehensive restoration of the Capella concert hall was completed. The stucco and gilding, lighting fixtures and chairs have been carefully restored. Everything missing was recreated in full accordance with the surviving samples. The grand opening of the hall on October 1, 2005 was attended by all the historical groups of the Capella - the Choir, the Symphony Orchestra and the Boys' Choir.
The organ of the Chapel is not only the most valuable musical and architectural monument of Russia. Together with the entire historical complex, it makes it possible to form the largest international center of organ music, where festivals, concerts, and symposiums are held. The reconstruction of the Chapel organ was a powerful stimulus for the development of domestic organ culture. The Chapel organ is a historical monument instrument. It is priceless, just as the instruments of the great Italian violin makers - Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri - are priceless. Elegant and noble-sounding, the Chapel organ harmonizes perfectly with the interior and acoustics of the concert hall. The instrument came to the Chapel in 1927, and it was made in 1891 for the Dutch Reformed Church in St. Petersburg. Designing the Chapel Hall, architect L.N. Benoit simultaneously planned to install an organ there, but due to a number of circumstances, the idea of installing an organ in the Chapel was not destined to come true.
The chamber hall of the Chapel of St. Petersburg was repaired and reconstructed in 2011 with the support of the Committee for Culture. The Chamber Hall hosts evenings of ancient and modern chamber music, performances by leading soloists of the Choir and Symphony Orchestra of the Capella, the Chamber Orchestra of the Capella, subscription concerts for children, solo concerts of young St. Petersburg musicians, thematic, musical, literary, anniversary evenings, experimental concerts, creative meetings, one-man performances, scientific conferences, press conferences. Every season, concerts in the Chapel Chamber Hall are becoming increasingly popular.
In the 1970s, a gallery was added to the Capella concert hall on the second floor level, allowing artists and administration to enter the auditorium and foyer without going through the stage. The gallery serves not only as a place for listeners to relax during intermissions, but also for holding exhibitions of painting, graphics, photography and sculpture. The exhibition changes every two weeks.
In 2010, during a major renovation, an elevator for people with disabilities was installed in the Chapel. Now, thanks to special equipment, the concert hall has become accessible to the disabled. The elevator allows them to move almost unhindered in the space of the Chapel and easily get from the first floor directly to the gallery adjacent to the concert hall.