The Samford University A Cappella Choir will perform in Russia later this spring at the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Culture. The 47-member choir will present concerts in Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and at Capella Hall and Pavlovsk Palace, both in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Capella Hall, designed expressly for the presentation of choral music, is regarded as the finest such hall in all of Russia. Tchaikovsky Hall, site of the famed piano competition, is one of the two most prestigious halls in Moscow.
The choir will sing a varied program of choral repertoire, including two choral concertos by Dmitri Bortnianski, widely considered to be the "Russian Mozart." During 2001, Bortnianski's music is being performed throughout Russia in recognition of the 250th anniversary of his birth.
For the concerts in Tchaikovsky Hall and Capella Hall, the choir will be joined by a Russian choral group for a Bortnianski concerto. The choir will depart for Russia on May 27 and return on June 5.