ABOUT THE TEAM
MusicAeterna chorus is one of the most sought-after Russian groups in the field of historically informed performance, which also successfully works with material of the 20th century. The opera chorus has become one of the best not only in Russia, but also in Europe due to its flexibility, artistry and musical qualities, as well as absolutely unique sound in the opinion of musical criticism. The chorus participates in European music festivals, works in a wide range of musical styles from monodic chorals to modern academic music.
The choir was created at the initiative of conductor Theodor Currentzis in 2004 in Novosibirsk. The chamber chorus has 36 voices, a large united choir consists of 80 artists. Chief choirmaster Vitaly Polonsky graduated from M.I. Glinka Novosibirsk State Conservatory and has been working with Theodore Currentzis since the founding of the chorus. The concert programs include compositions by foreign composers of the Baroque era, masterpieces of Russian choral music of the 18th — 20th centuries, works by contemporary authors.
Prizes and awards:
2018 – International Opera Awards in the nomination “Best Choir” (international “Opera Oscar”)
2017 – Russian Casta Diva Prize for performance at the Salzburg Festival in the nomination “Event of the Year”
Major projects:
2017 – MusicAeterna chorus led by Theodore Currentzis opened the Salzburg Festival in a play “The Mercy of Titus” staged by Peter Sellars. “The power of his interpretation is based on the power of silence as the basis of music, it works in strong contrast – from deep tenderness to exhilarating drama,” Weiner Zeitung wrote about the premiere.
2018 – “Zhanna on Fire” oratorio, directed by Romeo Castellucci
2017 – “La Traviata” opera, directed by Robert Wilson
Participation in projects specially created for the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater:
2017 – “Cantos” choral opera
2016 – “Tristia” choral opera
ABOUT THEODOR CURENTZIS
Theodor Currentzis was born in Athens, he studied at the National Conservatory in Greece, since 1994 his life has been closely associated with Russia. A student of St. Petersburg Conservatory professor, conductor Ilya Musin, in 2004–2010 Kurentzis was the principal conductor of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, since 2011 he has headed Perm Opera and Ballet Theater. P. I. Tchaikovsky.
Theodore Currentzis is a member of international festivals (Salzburg Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Lucerne Festival, Rurtriennale), chief conductor of SWR orchestra, guest director of the Malerovsky Chamber Orchestra. One of the creators of “Territory” festival. Commander of the Order of Friendship (2008). Eight-time winner of the National Theater Award “Golden Mask”. Winner of the KAIROS Award of the Alfred Töpler Stiftung Foundation (2016). “Conductor of the Year” 2016 Opernwelt. Winner of an exclusive contract with Sony Classical. His records with orchestra and musicAeterna chorus received international prizes from Echo Klassik Awards, Opernwelt magazine award and the Bbc Music Magazine prize. In 2018, Theodore Currentzis became Commander of the Greek Order of the Phoenix
PRESS
“A wonder chorus, which level in work is not measured at all. Because it is transcendental. Singing Percellian brittle passages, lying on the floor and looking at the ceiling, but not diverging one iota, melting and fading, but still making everyone hear its disembodied sound, breathing as one – it’s not all thanks to what the staging took place. To breathe together not only with Purcell’s music, but also with Sellars’s witchcraft, live in it, dissolve in it, believe in it and learn its strange, magical plastics – that’s what was needed in this case and what was accomplished. ”
Catherine Biryukova, Colta
«The effect of radical nulling of the entire previous auditory experience of opera audience has been repeatedly reinforced by the exponential destruction of the border between the sounding and the listener: with unearthly ease dealing with Nosferatu’s voice-breaking material Vitaly Polonsky’s wards, with vocalists of the MusicAeterna choir and drummers and instrumentalists who are drummed into the Benoir curtains, installing the public of the stalls right in the center of the high-voltage acoustic arc.”.
Dmitry Renansky, Kommersant
«Of course, I would not have believed if 25 years ago someone had told me that I would be putting on a “Queen of the Indians” with a Russian choir. But 25 years ago there wasn’t such a choir in the world that could sing as brilliantly as Musicaeterna. ”
Peter Sellars, interview lenta.ru
«MusicAeterna is more breathtaking than Kopman, Herrewega, Suzuki and others. The chorus is so flexible and light, it does not make any comparison with some local German, motionlessly frozen groups of choir members. Here everything is in motion; it seems that the rhythm comes from every singer. All of them keep up with adventurous instrumental parts; it is practically like a virtuoso competition … Soloists of the chorus are also mobile – they are so talented that they could start a solo career».
kulturradio