Chorus

The Mariinsky Theatre Chorus is an outstanding musical group, well known in Russia and abroad. It is interesting not only for its high degree of professional skill, but also for its history, which is rich in events and is closely linked with the development of Russian musical culture.
In the mid-19th century, under the guidance of the outstanding opera conductor Eduard Napravnik, the Mariinsky Theatre staged the first performances of famous operas by Borodin, Musorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky. The large-scale choral scenes in these operas were brilliantly performed by the Mariinsky Theatre Chorus, an integral part of the opera company. The chorus's success was founded on the careful preservation of old Russian choral traditions and the highly professional work of some outstanding chorus masters – Karp Kuchera, Ivan Pomazansky, Yevstafy Azeyev and Grigory Kazachenko.
Today the Mariinsky Theatre Chorus not only regular participates in operatic productions, but also gives its own concerts of sacred and secular music. The chorus is renowned for its high professional standard, and its repertoire ranges from Russian and foreign classics to cantatas, oratorios and a cappella singing. It has toured in Russia, Finland, Switzerland, Britain, France, Italy and Israel.
The chorus has a beautiful, powerful sound, capable of surprising audiences by its rich range of sound and its outstanding acting skill. A regular participant in international festivals and world premieres, it is one of the leading choral groups in Europe.
There are a significant number of recordings featuring the Mariinsky Theatre Chorus. Their conribution to recordings of Musorgsky´s Boris Godunov, Prokofiev´s Ivan the Terrible and Verdi´s Requiem has won high critical acclaim. In 2003 a new recording by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and Chorus under Valery Gergiev was released: Prokofiev´s cantata Alexander Nevsky, performed at the First Moscow Easter Festival for Philips Classics.