On Wednesday, October 2, 2019, a very special choral masterclass was given in the lower room of the Great Bell Tower at the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. This monastery is considered the spiritual center of all of Russia and of its Orthodox Church. Several different factors contributed to the particular significance of this masterclass. The […]
Theology wedded to music has a fragile integrity entrusted to singers who must skillfully labor to reveal heaven on earth.
There is a Russian adage which translates as “the task fears the master craftsman,”[*] meaning work goes well when one knows one’s business. In the case of the recent master class in choral singing and conducting, entitled The Performance and Interpretation of Russian Sacred Choral Music, one could easily change this adage to “the task […]
(This interview with Russian conductor Vladimir Gorbik was first published in Pravoslavie i sovremennost, the official journal of the Diocese of Saratov, Russia) As previously reported in the Orthodox Arts Journal, a new symphony orchestra has been established in Moscow under the direction of Vladimir Gorbik—chief choirmaster of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Representation (Podvorye) in […]
Maestro Vladimir Gorbik, renowned choral director of the Moscow Representation Church of the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra, has founded a new symphony orchestra. Maestro Gorbik, having accomplished so much as a liturgical musician in Russia, and having co-founded PaTRAM in order to share his skills with Orthodox Americans, now wishes to offer his Orthodox musical […]
Interviewed by Natalia Gorenok Translated by Vladimir Morosan The art of Church singing as an integral part of the life of the Church, like the Church itself [in Russia], is experiencing a period of revival. Along the way, there are still many difficulties, because many of the traditional practices among choirmasters and church singers were […]
The Patriarch Tikhon Choir Releases Its New CD In 2012, Vladimir Gorbik, the eminent Choirmaster of the Moscow Representation Church of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery, came to North America for the first time to teach a master class on the interpretation of Russian Orthodox sacred choral music at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. After the success […]
Editor’s Note: This interview appeared originally on pravoslavie.ru, with questions posed by Jesse Dominick. Benedict Sheehan is a composer, conductor, arranger, writer about, and teacher of, music. He currently plies his trade at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Monastery, where, since 2010, he has taught Orthodox liturgical music and directed the choirs. Benedict is also a regular […]
Editor’s Note: The following is a guest submission from Deacon Ephraim Willmarth of Holy Trinity Seminary. ____________________________________________ From Monday, February 24 to Thursday, February 28, a group of church singers and directors gathered in Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary to rehearse and study with Maestro Vladimir Gorbik, choirmaster of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra Dependency […]
Like other liturgical arts, the art of liturgical singing, whether solo chant or choral, is dependent to a great extent upon apprenticeship and following traditionally established models. The successful transmission and development of this subtle and ephemeral art depends on the availability of opportunities for aspiring liturgical musicians to encounter examples offered by skilled master […]