Russian Patriarchate Choir of Moscow

The Russian Patriarchate Choir of Moscow was founded by Anatoly Grindenko in Trotse-Sergieva Lavra in 1983. Holding to tradition, the Choir consists of 12-13 members, who perform both in Russia (where it is an actual church choir) and internationally. The singers are dedicated scholars of the repertoire for male voices who led the way in the re-recovery of Orthodox church music in the late years of the Soviet Regime. At that time—when the government did not support the Choir’s efforts—the group spent years decoding ancient manuscripts and giving the first performances of works that had lain in obscurity for centuries.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union came the opportunity for the group to perform internationally and bring its beloved music to a wide public. Through live performances and many recordings, the Choir has reached a huge worldwide audience. “The response of the full house grew throughout from warm to clamorous...emphatic and dynamic performances," said the New York Times of the Choir's hit appearance at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival. The members have appeared throughout Europe and Scandinavia, at Festivals in Utrecht, London, Maastricht, Barcelona, Ravenna, and at Les Folles Journées in Nancy. This is the Choir’s first appearance with VocalEssence.