Completion of Dome Fresco in Santa Rosa, CA

A masterpiece of iconography has recently been completed at St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church in Santa Rosa, CA (OCA). The dome is the work of Fr. Patrick Doolan, a renowned iconographer trained by Leonid Ouspensky. He and his assistant, Fr. Moses, painted the dome in true fresco over the course of the past year.…

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Announcing the Orthodox Illustration Project

It is my particular pleasure to introduce the Orthodox Illustration Project – an initiative under the aegis of the Orthodox Arts Journal. In brief, the purpose of the project is to make available online a collection of graphic illustrations of the highest quality. The collection will focus on iconographic drawings and related graphic ornaments stylistically…

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A Living Tradition of Icon Painting

Icon Appearing of Christ to the Holy Myrrh Bearers

Interview with iconographers Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova by Irina Yazykova (2010) and Andrew Gould (2014) Philip Davydov and Olga Shalamova are based in Saint Petersburg and are well-known iconographers throughout Russia and abroad. They participate in round tables and conferences, teach iconography and monumental painting, and promote the revival of iconography. Irina Yazykova: What do you think is…

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Concert—Deep Roots Are Not Reached by the Frost: The Enduring Russian Sacred Choral Tradition, 1830 to the Present

On May 31, at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Danbury, CT, the St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Chamber Choir will give a concert of Russian Orthodox liturgical music in the final installment of the church’s third annual “Music on the Mount” concert series. The St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Chamber Choir is an ensemble of Orthodox professional…

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Review of Cappella Romana’s Passion Week Performance

(the Wall Street Journal also reviewed this performance:’Passion’ and Resurrection) During  Capella Romana’s recent performance of Soviet composer Maximilian Steinberg’s lost work, something became evident to the singers and the audience: while Steinberg’s Passion week is a very complex and lovely piece of choral music, it is a profound confession of faith. Vladimir Morosan gave…

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Some New Musical Repertoire in Honor of the Mother of God

One of the rewards of working with a group of professional-level singers such as Archangel Voices (www.archangelvoices.com) is the opportunity to explore and record, often for the very first time, some newly composed or newly arranged Orthodox sacred choral repertoire. Even more rewarding is to hear on occasion that our efforts have met with approbation…

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Further Efforts Toward a Christian Culture

Editor’s Note: Though the following is not directly related to the traditional liturgical arts of the Orthodox Church, it is important to highlight the efforts of those who borrow from the art within the Church in order to influence and engage contemporary culture without. What Nicholas Kotar and his colleagues are doing is cultural missionary…

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